The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-06-29

yun was ranlacad he the breechloader
so viii tho automatic rifle he replaced
he tho machine yun and what the
~ ... 49, ,aras,o, ,nu,,arv tho.
~ ~
'N' NV"
~. -
~
The suggestion to abolish the rife is
OF course a shock not only to military !
tradition but to the popular conception |
of soldiers and soldering. The sloping
rifle and the cleaning bayonet are the
fixed symbols OF an army in being and
1t Is difficult II not impossible to imag- !
inc Tommy Atkins going into action
with a yard or so of iron piping and
his arm. But changes come quickly
when science taxes soldering unuer is
care. Many years passeu ai.el :,
discovery or gunpowuer oeiore oows anu
arrows We're SEM 10 .ne museums, ~. ~
these days Oh soieh.InI s.ausn'eI sWn
viction comes OF inc swirl "i"e' '''
den death'
why are the perhlans "'a,u''V,
ing machine guns u!
why do the Germans ho ,o.se' 90
much attention 10 'he c"'. VI Nv -
Why are the Germans workns nlsn'
and day to turn out a mach'he gun II,
heavier thah the oio bro"h pse .nu
more ueauiy ina" 't
Of an entire company The answer 10
these questions was given az 1870
at La bassee' at ~ 49,
OF fpres: IL Is an answer urlNe" no".
with deadly enect from many ruiheo
cottages, many u'shiah.Ieu i"l.nlouse.
and many coveted 'rehches "here.er
the hordes OF are racing the
armies OF the Allies
Among the man! herman sp'es
serving their country IN IloIian' "S
some men Oh nililtaiy espeiIe.ee, w
these men are always re"u!' n"s, $50
TO discuss the eVelop'heh' ". n.,u.a,.
science As a man VIII rue ME 'a'o'''7
hobby.
SermSm GAp"'"'
"rbey talk about weapons and tactics
c,eyerly. earnestly. convincingly: and
they talk not boastfully as Germans
proud of Germany. but enthusiastically
as craftsman who love their craft.
quite dispa~ ssionately they discuss
what they consider to be the weak
nesses OF the British army. and always
tAey agree that one OF the chief weak
are sportsmen before we are soldiers.
ta,,sh because II IA the weapon OF a
snortsman more than the arm of a
soldier
zone of these ex-soldiers said TO me
n week. or two ago: You Engl,sh are
biyhIy elated because the wal has
nroyed your men can shoot stralghter
and quicker than ours. oh, yes, | ad-
mit the fact, but see little cause for
the triumph. Your archers were once the
wonders Of the world, and you held on
10 the bow long after other nations were
burning Gunpowder: and In the same
way n for the same reason you will
be the last armed nation to discard the
rife. Even now a large percentage of
the time occupied in training your
troop. IL spent in teaching them the
construction and use of the rifle. while
our men are being taught how to han
die and serve a machine gun.
"'You do not seriously MAINTAIN tnat
the present war will see an end OF the
rife" ] asked.
"'The present war VIII see tne emo OF
many things. az IL mas seen the p'rth
of many things, ne repileu' ana al
though the rifle may not pc
fore peace Is signed. lts uoofn as tne
principal arm OF infantry Is SOUNDED.
FHult."
.uo .,,. ~
lou may Snn, '"'t ~ VI ne
lau's VI sUu un,n ~.
see an aps'uS $500 nn
yes 1 hnow 'uu va say INA sou nave
tary inventions, but these inventions
were more on the line Of inevitable de-
yelopments than complete revolutions.
But YOU will 90 on improving the r!tie
when II ought to be scra pped.
az ask Won where Ia the argument
ago,rs+ tho gradual substitution ~ the
,isbt machine pun Tor the rifeo After
III n W.viv ia n,.raIy an tn,nroyed an
90, .to ia n,,th a u,otar iacL., Tha
so,aiars u,ho u,on and ,os, Waterloo oar
go a ,aanon haavior and wore cI,msv
49, ~ Ia,as, mach,no ,,n nan
.na" e. Linntr a..
WIN 'u = a. 'a
p.I.Hu -, ~, ~,
M"H'n' -. - "a a. 80.
anu .a'.s t"I 10 s'on p. na ~
VIZ mo- tol wa NV ;. VI,
one sue Vi an n"s,2n epus'e s,'p''e"
lcS una" a :, o 'len.n sauu'.s a.
enectlVe range. ohe nhoutr" "'achihe
gun "ou.u nave "'peu OUT an en''re
squadron
sc spoke tne herman mlltary eN-