Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1914-09-06
MODERN BATTLES ARE
DIRECTED BY SIGNS

good many incidents when the soft
pedal was needed. We get the general
idea that we are a lot drawer than any
other nation because of this patriotic
discrimina ton on the part of our his
torians. We hear lot of General
Jackson licking the British at New Or
leans; but the histories of the same
war do not dwell heavily on the fact
that a small body of British reached
Washington after routing a vastly SUI
perior force of unframed American
troops, and set fire to the capitol it,
self.
1t isn't bravery that holds Jones and
his fellow troopers to their work. 1t
is discipline. 1t is the fact that they
have been so well drilled that an order
is of greater force than their wills.
They obey without thinking. 1t is
habit. In that last advance the Off
GERS probably could not have made a
green company rise for the rush Jones
didn't want to get up and rush that
10 yards-but discipline. stronger than
his desire, made him instantly leap up
and obey the order.
IAN army is fairly well disclined,
say the war experts, when it's men
will bring their rifles to the shoulder
and look through the sights before they
pull the trigger"
Habit Grips the Regular.
Raw troops will shoot from the hip.
into the air any old way their guns
happen to be pointing. Habit gets
such a grip on the regular that he has
not will enough to pull the trigger un-
less he feels the nestle of the gun butt
against his shoulder. 1t is more than
second nature--it becomes first ma
ture.
Thus by short rushes the line works
itself forward until it is within 300
yards of the trenches. The ears and
eyes of the officers tell that the fire
of the enemy is growing wilder and
less continuous. Reserves that have
/ en- held back. are fed in to plug the
gaps. Bayonets have heen fixed.
There is the pause before the final
charge.
The bayonets are long and as sharp
as a razor on either edge. The bayonet
has not gone out of fashion-it never
Will 1t has double action psyche
logical effect on troops that will keep
it In use as long as war is waged.
There it is at the end of the gun a
shining and murderous blade. Private
Jones regards it affectionately In the
short pause he even runs a tentative
| finger over its edges.
Damn them!r says he. Here is
where l get a chance to reach the
bloody devils! I've been sniping away
at bushes that might hide men and
might not. Now I'll see them and I'll
run this blade through en-. | want to
get the feel of it,"
Like Shooting in the Air.
II Is a futile business. this shooting
at something you cannot see. 1t is
like striking the air, Deep down in
Private Jones' soul there is the race
old hunger for the hand to- hand com
bat. a fight rather than a battle.
Now the captain jumps up and runs
forward. He leads his company over
that last 300 Yards
Follow met" he calls and the bug
1ers bray it on their instruments
Down the long line the other cap
tains are doing the same 1t is now or
never. A long sweep of bright hayo-
nets rises from the grass and the men
jump for the entertainments with the
yells of savages. There is no need for
coneealment now; it is the show down
And as the bristling line sweeps over
the trenches its defenders take one
look at the bayonets and flee. The po-
sition is carried.
Observe again the gentle use of the
psychological bayonet Few if any of
the defenders are stabbed with them
There is no record of bayonets being
crossed during the entire course of the
Russo Japanese war. 1t is that long.
bright, razor-keen blade that does the
work with its very appearance The
defenders see it and think what would
happen If the blades ever reach them
1t Is the human horror of being cut or
stabbed A man that will stand be-
fore a revolver will run from a dagger.
That is the reason for the bayonet