Evening star., 1914-08-08
Military Attaches in Europe
Expect to See Some Real
Fighting.
QUESTION OF MODERN
ARMAMENT is AT STAKE
Officers Expect to Prove Value of
Field Artillery. Long Range Rifles
and Cavalry Charges.

As soon as the pressing need of caring
for American refugees has been dis
posed of. now that general war III
Euorpe is III progress. the Secretary OF
State will make formal application for
permission to send military observers 10
the scene of conflict In the Balkan
war this permission was refused by the
Balkan states. and only one officer was
able. to get into Turkey. and he was
military attache at Constantinople
The military attaches in Europe will.
in any case. have an opportunity to see
some real fighting. Among the number
are: Capt. Allen l.. Briggs. infantry,
military attache at Vienna. Austria.
First Lieut.. Sherman Miles. Field Ar
tllery. at Sofia. Bulgaria and Servia;
Mai. Spencer Cosby. engineers. at Paris,
France: Maj. George T. Langhorn. cav
airy. at Berlin, Germany; Lieut. Col.
George o. Squiers, Signal Corps, at Lon
Con. England: Col. George NJ. Dunn.
Judge advocate. at Rome. Italy: Capt
Norton E. Wood. field artillery. at Mad
rid. Spain: Maj. Edward p. Lawton. re-
tired. at Berne Switzerland: Maj. j. K
NJ Taylor infantry. at Constantinople
Turkey
Besides the regular military attaches
there are q number of captains VINO are
serving with regiments in France. Eng
land and Germany. Just what "ill pe
the status of those officers is an interest
ing question. as they probably VIII ne
relieved upon the beginning OF hostih-
ties. -,
First Lieut.. John G. Quekemeyer,
18th Cavalry, who is to attend the
Saumus School of Equitation In france
will sail in a few days and propaoiy
will be in France in time TO make o.
seryations, even if he should not De
permitted to accompany the army.
Special Value to United States.
The privilege of sending army Off
GERS TO Europe as observers of mill
tary operations would be of special
value to the War Department at this
time. There are so many improved
var engines that have never been
tested in battle that their value is
problematical They have been tried
out in maneuvers and in target prac
tice but never against an enemy. Fow
effective the modern high-power, long
range service rife will be in big pat
tie il yet to be established.
The United States Army has been en-
gagged in improving the craftsmanship
ot it's soldiers and th2 range OF their
guns. on the theory that large bodies
OF troops can uellEeT. an chettlNe IlS
at the range of 1.0o0 yards. Some oI
the more conservative officers are of
opinion that firing at that distance ry
a large body of troops would be !
waste of ammunition. They assert
that the fire of sharpshooters and Skir-
mishere can be controlled at that
range, but that it would be impossible
to control the fire of a brigade or a
division.
Some field artillerymen contend that
as the modern field gun can sweep the
terrain at a range of three miles. in
fautry cannot be advanced over an
open country unless the fire of the
field artillery is smothered by similar
means. The claims Of enthusiastic field
artillery offers as to what can be done
with their guns are disputed by in
fantry and cavalry officers. Only actual
battle they say will determine just
how effective 1eld artillery is in op-
posing charges of infantry and cavalry.
The French authorities have great faith
in the effectiveness of their field artfl
lery and their guns are said to be
superior to those of any of the other
great powers. The German army, while
well supplied with modern field artil
lery, is said to depend mainly on it's
cavalry and infantry 10 win battles.
The German infantry in particular is
sa id to be the finest in the world
Value of Cavalry.
United States Army officers are not
agreed as to the value Of cavalry in
a war with a frst-class power. Some
regard that arm as mounted infantry