The farmer and mechanic., 1915-06-29

~
was a horrible mixture of snrieking,
lnrsting shells and unending earth
.ulakes Nerves couldn't stand it. We
were literally swept away by relent-
l.ee storm of explosive Shells There
vas no way to turn to escape it. The
confusion was simply awful. And
then. from behind the screen of that
Devastating blast, the British infantry
rushed upon our stunned and stag
eered remnants We hadn't a
chance"
I'm these words a German officer
pho survived the battle of Neuve
Chapele described that action, and,
uufntentionally he epitomized the
stories Of other fights that have fol-
lowed in the trail of the opening of
The spring campaign on the battle
nclds Of Europe, an article in the New
YORK sun says.
\ov people are beginning better to
realize the prophetic genius of Ma
poleon for it was he who said that
God was on the side of the General
with the largest number of guns. But
this must be qualified now because
victory inclines today toward the army
that has not only the guns but also
the ammunition needful to satisfy
their Unsuitable greed.
st Neuve Chapelle the British eX-
pended more powder and projectileS
an a single action than they did dur
ing the whole period of the BOer war
The god of modern war is not Mars
but Vulcan. and from the blast fur
mace and the machine shop must
come the shells rather than bullets,
th"' "in decide the conflict. The
.Nes 49,. aurely in need OF TN 81 -<TnU-
-.., -e..is3jt Is her abundance IF mis-
L,aaJuiar Mind that has made il pos
slbg for Germany to hold 1raF OVID so
Tors ana tc carry the war into tho
laaa- ~ he enemies
few weeks ago ViCtCry
ptrched upon the Russian standards.
The Cars soldiers had penetrated the
Carpathian passes, Przemysl had fall
icn. and Galicia was we'll night won.
But suddenly the tide of battle turned
The Russians failed to press their ad
vantage. and without any apparent
reason SO far as the world at large
could Judge the campaign was halted
The Germans, however, knew the
reason why: The Cars batteries were
starved through lack Of ammunition
and his infantry could not press for.
ward without that support. Then II
was that Gen. Won Mackensen begar
u movement that military critics SaiG
Was fraught with peril. He started {
drive against numerous enemy tina
had proved irresistible but a shOr
time before. All know the result.
he German commander had at hi
;sttal many batteries and plenty o
hEru Hcn. These guns Won Mack
''>eh .As-25SeI along a narrow from
t1@ oa a granner scale, did just wha
trlush had done weeks before a
Nerve 1'9apelle
r virfue NJ the shattering power O
1nase feld pieces he cut a swat
"a f.a fTyS .t,Ne,
the cars troups- lately victoriou:
hurry1ng rearward because their oW
artillery was unable to retailate. Ger
Won MackenSen held his foe al Da
while he demoraliZed them, and tn
superior numbers of the Russian IL
lanlry were never able to come clos
enough TO try conclusions with col
steel
ltalys delay in entering the we
mas been the subject of much discus
SION. out the Italian armies are no
proving the wisdom of the months
apparent inaction. King Victor En-
e'ahueIs troops were able to advant
rapidly largely by virtue of the smasl
hhe power Of the Italian field TIA
"fies The royal arsenals and II
private manufacturers have bet
puSy Tor months in providing a va
STORE OF munitions, and it is upon til
resefNe strength that the King
'hles are drawing today. Again :
Admpie is presented of the bait
NihmnS capacity Of mobile guns VIII
properly fed with powder and shell
may be added with proper shell
=, uecause the European war has shov
we lnadequacy of the hitherto vaur
ed >hrapnel
Nrthout taking up now the stru
ural arrangement of shrapnel it M
" said that this type of projectile
ueSiehed to simulate at long range t
.olley firing of infantry. The infa
man musket has comparatively
anoft range, while the shrapnel cs
;'s iar and scatters it's bullets, VIII
~ ne midst of the foe like so ma
''eskets discharged pointblank.
mere troops are plainly expos
""c massed the shrapnel still does
tM"th well. because it's scores of lead
"nS are hurled broadcast when t
Use bursts, spreading death a.
""ouhds throughout a considerable
ui1S. But the crucial contests arc ,