The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1915-10-22

ene, Tor, even If the defense is not penetrated.
the resultant shock is as serious as bullet
wound Il is therefore this glancing surface
winch should be studied IL armour is TO have any
pace In modern warfare, and metal OF nign
temper and light In weight should be employed
1t is unthinkable that such defenses will ever be
omcfaily recognized, for. il issued on a large
scale. they would greatly impede the mobility OF
troops already carrying dead weight than
did the soldier OF the sixteenth century in his
suit OF halfarmor. II such contrivances are pur-
chased privately an exhaustive test should be in
sisted upon. and proof should be recorded By
some responsible body, as il in the days OF
Charles |. when the Armorers company OF Lon
don were ordered to carry out such tests and
stamp all armor that satisfied the conditions
with their mark If these defenses are care
lessly made OF Indifferent material they will as
suredly be far more of danger than protec-
ton
II is impossible to criticize the modern produc-
tons without seeing them in actual use in the
trenches. but 1t would seem that the pistol
shield with crossed bars is in direct opposition
to the theory that the "glancing surface" is OF
importance, for here, wherever the bullet strikes.
1t will deliver the full force of it's blow and will
not fly on at tangent it would from Henry
Wits pistol shield which is preserved in the
Tower. The plain skull-cap seems TO fulfill the
required conditions. except that il should be
provided with q brim curving outward. like the
chapel de fer of the sixteenth century The
French helmet appears TO provide some lodg-
ments for the bullet in the straight brim and
high comb. but again it should be noted that it
impossible to criticize practically until the de-
tense is seen IN action.
Besides the ordinary body armor of the late
seventeenth century In the Tower collection
there are q few interesting specimens OF siege
implements which the precursors OF modern
contrivances The chevaux de frise OF the days
OF Wellington series OF sergeants pixies
joined by horizontal rods. and arranged that
they can be stretched across a road or the breach
in a wall a protection against cavalry-an an
ticipation OF the present barbed wire entsngle-
ment. The sappers' mantels of leather and iron
have continued in use from the time of the Ro-
mans up to today. and the weighty trappings
that were used in the middle of the seventeenth
century show that even then armor serious
ly used In the trench work. Several OF the eight
eenth century muskets in the Tower OF London
have brass cups fixed TO the barrel or butt from
which grenades were thrown. necessary precau-
tion when the fuse used the slow match.
Step by step trace the evolution OF mill.
tary invention. and il is peculiarly interesting
to find that today. in the light of all our scien-
tide knowledge and experience. We suddenly
forced back to make of appliances OF four
hundred years ago which We had but recently
stigmatixed as relics of barbarism.
The facts show that from the stone age onward
armor never became extinct 1t has always been
worn AT the present day. to be sure. it appears
guard OF royalty. And you recall that eorselel
park. in Potsdam. or iadeed in Republican