The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-10-13
GERMANY WELL PREPARED
Her Artillery Great Surprise to
Allies; Mobility of Her Big
Guns Was Not Looked For
by French and British; The
French Have ADVANTAGE in
Rapid Action
Correspondence of The Associated
PRESS

Correspondence of The Associated
Press.)
London, Sept 22.-Speaking of the
battle of Mons. an English soldier
who was one of the few survivors of
his company, said to an American
in the field hospital at Amiens:
I'VE thought the Germans were
forty years behind the times: thew
are forty a ahead" And accord
ing to an American military expert.
there is a solid basis of truth in
Tommy Atkins statement. The Ger
mans apparently knew what they
were about, he thinks, when thew re-
fused to generalize too much from the
Philippine, Boer and Russo-Japanese
wars.
Campaigning in a p%opulous country
with a perfect road system and a
hay atmosphere is quite different
from work in "A crude open country
distinguished by dry, clear air and a
sharp horizon. Too little is yet known
of the actual fighting in Europe for
accurate deductions, nevertheless GER
tain facts are apparent which will
have their effect upon military prac-
tice in the United States.
The outstanding facts so far notice.
able are the terrific effect of siege ar
tillery in the field, the weakness of
open order fighting when a vast num-
Der of men are available, the
tive failure of aerOnautics as pictured
in popular imagination, and the i'm
mense advantage of thorough prelim-
mary training.
Artillery the Great Surprise.
Germany's great surprise in this
war has been her artillery. The sumo
riority of her army organization was
already known to the world, and this
superiority and her perfect
ton were r%eckoned, and properly, her
greatest assets. 1t was also known
that she had eleven-inch Howitzers,
but they were supposed to be siege
guns to be used against concrete forts
and nothing else. AS such they more
than surpassed expectations at Namur.
But the mobility of these big guns
had not even been suspected by for
elSn critics, and their use as field
artillery came as a great shock to the
allies.
In the old days, artillery stood in
exposed positions as the aim was
taken directly at the enemy. Conse-
quently it could be captured by infan-
,ry and even cavalry. But now artil-
iefy hre Is directed from concealed
positions at a high angle and is ex-
c~eedlngly difficult for the enemy to
ma. And this is the most important
use TO which the aeroplane has been
put. AS the wounded British describe
the lighting at Mons, when their army
came so close to being wiped out, they
mad very little trouble in keeping the
German infantry in check until the
aeroplanes signaled the correct range.
ihen the men were simply blasted out
OF the trenches. The artillery so far
captured appears to nave been aban-
ooned in retreat.
Where French Are Superior.
The standard American field gun is
,he tnree-inch, as are the jackaSS
batteries substituted in mountainous
ountry But the inferior roads Of
america would render the use of the
great German Howitzers impracti-
caple: When the Germans have been
unable TO get their great weapons
lhto action, French field artillery has
proved superior because of allowing
ior more rapid movement than the
herman of the same calibre. In rapid
ac'lon the French have had decidedly
.ne advantage in this respect. At any
rate, the European war has caused
sAperts somewhat to revise their opin-
ION as TO the value of artillery, which
hdd oeen considerably less effective in
other recent wars. Artillery has now
.ssalned its old prestige. 1t settled
~ pattle OF Mons without any doubt.
10 come to infantry, on which the
uitiflate decision in all wars rests, the
nerman fighting unit appear to be
lnlerlor to the English or French. He
nles wlthout aiming and does not
niake a sufficient use of cover. But
Mnat the German infantrymen lacks
INDIVIDUALLY is atoned for by the per
iVc' dlscipline under which he and
nms fellows act. American tradition
ansts a great deal to the individual,
~ ~ rene no doubt Of frontier lighting.
Inc German theory trusts nothing
INSIDERS it less important that com
aifnds should be. sacrificed through
- mistake In their disposition than
nat n should take it o. them