The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-10-19
NATIONS TO FACE
WORSE FOE Yet
How viii Armies Bear the
RIgOTs Of Winter?
FACTOR IN FORMER WARS.

Has Science Reached the Point Where
Cold Weather Can Be Disregarded In
the Fortunes of Battle?--Few Excep-
tons to the Rule of Abatement of |
Activities In the Past.
When a new factor enters the Euro
pean wharf.-the cold of winter-the field
armies will find a more persistent, a
more formidable enemy than the troops
of opposing nations. The first advance
Of winter has been felt already by
the soldiers intrenched along the river
Aisne. Chilly winds, following a wet
week. sent a SILVER through the lines
of both forces.
More than anything else, says the
Kansas City Star, cold weather will
hamper the mobility of the armies.
Their already heavily taxed transport
trains will have the added burden Of
winter supplies. Troops will not be
able to cut loose from their advanced
bases even for brief periods. Shelter
and warmth will have to be provided
at each stop of a marching force. no
easy task when millions are on the bat
tie lines.
Undoubtedly the general staffs of both
sides have elaborate preparations made
to keep the suffering necessarily caused
by winter at minimum, but the great
est human endeavors cannot eliminate
all hardship, even if an army is given
permanent station and no movement
made until spring.
Winter Dull Time In Former Wars.
Whether the science of war has pro-
crossed to the point where winter can
be disregarded in a measure is yet an
undetermined factor. In almost all the
wars since history began the coming of
frost has heralded 4 period of decreas-
ing activity by field armies, while win
ter has forced generals to establish per-
manent camps and wait for warmer
weather before any extensive opera.
tons are started.
Washington had one brilliant success
In the, Revolutionary war by disregard
ing the extreme hardships of winter
| and attacking the Hessians at Trenton
| His army remained active several
! weeks after Christmas that year, but
| ultimately was forced into inactivity.
| The sufferings at Valley Forge show
| the formidable enemy winter can be.
In the Crimean war fighting practi-
| cally stopped with the battle of Inker-
man, Nov. 5, 1854. The Russians re-
! tired into Sebastopol. and the allies
built a permanent camp of investment
| around it
In our civil war considerable fighting
| was done in the winter months. but
all the more important campaigns be-
gan in the spring and were suspended
when cold weather came.
Sherman'S march was made in the
winter months, and even in that south
! ern climate the suffering from cold
among his troops was intense. Grant
campaigned against Fort Henry and
| Fort Donelson in February. 1862. and
the following winter was active in
Mississippi
The Japanese advance on Mukden In
1904 was halted about the LIST of Sep
TENDER by severe cold. Neither army
was prepared to withstand winter. SC
for month the fighting forces lay in.
active almost within striking distance
A few engagements were fought in DC
tober; then operations practically halt
ed until Feb. 10. when the japanese
army, swathed in overcoats and pad
ded leggings, began to advance.
The investment of cities has beer
| n
operations of field armies. The reason
is obvious. Investing armies can buil(
permanent earth huts, where n small
fire and the bodily warmth of a squad
of men will keep them nearly as com
Portable as in their own homes. Thu
Japanese assault on 203 Meter hill
was made on Nov. so. Port Arthur
capituated, after n series of assaults
Jan. 2, 1905.
Wars Begun In Spring and Summer.
t The war between the Balkan allie'
and Turkey, contrary to usual custom
began in the fall. Most all wars have
been inaugurated in the spring or sum
mer- The troops of Bulgaria, Servia
Greece and Montenegro started to wa
> with complete winter kits, heavy over
n coats, thick blankets and shelter tents
: The fighting in northern Thrace dun
e ing October was a trying period on th
: Bulgarian invaders. Their descent Of
;. Turkey carried the troops into ney
/ camps each night They rapidly be
! came expert in constructing wind she
lie tiers and huts in which bodily warmt
. took the place of furnaces. The so
r diers besieging Adrianople and ais
:, the field armies when they reached tn
Tchatalja lines near Constantinopl
constructed lean to huts. thatched wit
n reeds and straw. Rolls of thick blat
n keting were wrapped around the leg
of men on duty. Caps were pulle
down over the ears.
None of the armies now in the felC