The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1914-12-04
"A hundred wears or more from now

Which another American has already
applied to driving boat. During the
present century the people of the civ
ilized world will contrive. This period
Of warfare that Bonaparte seems bent
upon continuing will end-at least for
a time-with him. Relieved OF the cas-
ualties Of war. our European popula-
ton will increase. Ii may be that II
will spread to new continents.
Mechanical devices will be extend.
ed into every department. including
war; Having swifter means Of slaugh.
ter. the nations will be more loath to
fight one another. That. believe, will
stop war;"
"You arc wrong. monsieur. War will
never cease"
"Well. then. it will grow less fire.
quent."
Suppose that. a century from now,
united Germany shall attempt to
crush France. What then?"
The old man thought for some time
without replying Then he said:
"a group of nations Is forming to
crush Bonaparte. This will be the be.
ginning Of groups Of allies yet to come.
Some statesmen will see the advan-
tage of uniting several nations with a
view to controlling Europe. This will
lead to a counter group
And when war comes ii will be be-
tween these groups and all Europe
will be involved. see. Never mind
the political consequences of these al
liances. Give me the military issues"
I'm hundred years the people of
Europe will have more than doubled.
perhaps quadrupled. Armies that are
now composed Of few hundreds of
thousands will then be millions. The
killed and wounded and prisoners of
war instead of being counted by thou
sands will be hundreds Of thousands"
And the battle line." Napoleon put
in. will be so. 100. perhaps 200 miles
long"
II thought. monsieur, you asked me to
give you the military future. You seem
quicker in'this than I. l defer to YOU"
"To move such armies" Napoleon
continued. ignoring the speaker. Twill
be herculean task. There will not
be roads enough for their advance"
"You forget the new power Of steam.
1t may develop"
you mean armies will be moved in.
stead of moving. Well. grant that
there are inventions that will carry
thousands Of them and at a speed Of
hundred miles in a single day. /
grant in this case they can be moved
within reasonable time. But do you
not know. monsieur. that an army
moves on its belly? A million of men
to be fed
perhaps 100000"
1.-Two million men to have two meals
a d2v. The food must be transported
or the men will starve. And the am
munition! 1t weighs-it will weigh
tons upon tons. How will general
be able to follow up an enemy and
carry with him such weight? And
granting he could do it in time of
peace, how would he do it with his enc.
my destroying the roads and bridges
before him?
The point d'appui will be then. as
now. the enemy's capital. Suppose
French army attempts to seize, as
Bonaparte has done. Vienna. He will
reach it with Il starving army and
short of ammunition. Suppose unit.
ed Germany marches on Paris. 1t will
be the same. Let Russia attempt to
capture Berlin. The more men she
has with whom to do it the worse off
she will be. 50 far AS feeding and pro-
viding them with ammunition are con.
cerned.
And how are these starving armies
to batter down such Notifications as
will be constructed hundred years
from now? Enormous cannon weighing
many tons will be required How can
an invading force expect to move these
enormous weights over roads and
bridges destroyed by a retiring enc
my? Believe me, my friend. when
that day comes war will be a dead
lock. No power can attack another
with hope Of success. for one rea-
son alone, to say nothing Of others-the
invading force will starve."
Then" rejoined the old man. his
eye lighting with prophetic fervor,
perhaps the good God will suggest to
his stupid peoples to establish an in
court"
"Ah, monsieur! But will it avail I'M
less based on that which upholds all
our courts-force?"
Napoleon paused and appeared to be
lost in deep thought. When he spoke
again the light of prophecy shone in
his eyes.
You have spoken of what these two |
have done. the one i'm cleo |
tricity, the other in steam. | see i'm |
a hundred years from now armies |
moved by either one or both of these |
powers. Posterity will not cease TO |
make war; II will rather enlarge the |
scope OF war. Who knows but that |
they will fight in the air and under the |
sea? Who knows but that some en-
Deror Of the future will succeed where
BOnaparte has failed I'm striking per-
idious Albion through the atmosphere
)r by first destroying her navy from