The Hawaiian gazette., 1914-01-27
ORDER STARTLES
ARMY OFFICERS
Told to Buck Up Their Commands
in Bayonet and Sabre Drill
or Look Out.

-. .
The. most startling order to local
Army officers that has been issued frori
department headquarters in many Gays
was sprung on the unsuspecting troops
yesterday, fresh IRON the printer
Commanding officers Of infantry aud
tavalfy rfBbed thtff eyes, rercad ihc
order 70 mako sure Of It's contents, and
then called hasty consultation Of
ti:eir stats. Tho dire possibilities that
may follow failure.to fully appreciate
The spirit o. this order are Of such a
radical nature that the most strenuous
program promulgated daring the whole
Of the military scgimc Of General Leon.
ara Wood seems tame and conservative
BY comparison. e
The secretary Of war, so states this
prder, p Is greatly dissatisfied with the
present state Of proficiency OF infan-
Try and cavalry in the use Of the bay.
onet and sabcr re specti sely.v Further,
more, Mr.. Garrison, who would prob
ably be hard pressed TO define the diff
terence between left mouliRet AMI a
forward pass, Is made to say that c:nl.
inanding OH, ers VINO fan TO corrces
this state Of affairs in their commands
win find themselves in danger Of being
superseded by officers selected for their
ability 70 bring aboat more satisiac.
tory results in this particular class os
instruction.
II has been known for some time pas.
that the war department attached a
great deal Of Importance to this phase
Of military instruction, and the reports
made by inspectors generally included
more or less unfayorable. comment in
tho case of regiments which were deem
ed otherwise in a high state Of Ell.
cheney for field service. Just what this
sudden and imperative demand for
perfection in bayohct and saber fenc.
ing portends is subject Of much spec
ulation. z;
No Higher Standard.
Officers state that no foreign arm >
has attained such high state of pro
heiency with these weapons as to eaIl
for snch startling measures to bfinp
the United States Army up to their
standard. When instituting conpa~i.
'N"o " hCtoIhih0 inc requirements OF
modern warfare, the late Russo-Japa.
nose war is regarded by military m IN
as furnishing the necessary field of OBJ
servation in all departments Of war.
faro. While the japanese and the Rus,
sans. were engaged many times in this
struggle, both with the saber and Gre
bayonet, there is no evidence. they sIy.
that skill in handling of either ever
proved to be the deciding factor in any
important engagement.
Tho prcat works ut Port Artn,r
were carried by assault at the point az
The bayonet in most eases, but the s,,.
periority Of The attackers both N 1re
and morale had been clearly demon.
sstrated by the time the forces engag.l
IN hand.to-hanl combat. Accounts
agree that in the final death strugpl,,
ire antagonists discarded their weapo,,,
and fought with fists and rocks. INST
az men have fought when hand Ia.
hand on every battlefield, ancient and
modern, in history. No one wants the
american Army to be inferior 10 that
OF any other ration in The world ~
any phase Of military efficiency. an.l,
ieast OF all their officers. Put the lat.
i"r are soreIy puzzled as to what tho
,'ur'tIng Of this shrapnel over thci-l
hsaris indicates. = ~