Milford chronicle., 1915-02-26
STRATEGY IN WAR
Retreats TO Lure the Enemy From
His Base of Supplies.
KNOWN AS FABIAN TACTICS.
Methods That Have Been Used by
Warriors Since Long Before the
Chr stan Era - George Washington
Was Called the American Fabius'

broken loose in the summer OF AJ44
and the allies fell back from their hrst
lire in northern France to the Marine
good deal was said and written Of ''Fa-
bian tactics" and when the Germans
fell back from the line of the Marine
to the Aisne more was said of "Fa-
bian tactics" In this country when
| Washington and the heroic Continental
army fell back before the English in
superior force and of superior equip
ment and perhaps superior discipline
his tactics were called Fabian" In
fact General George Washington was
called and by historical writer's is still
referred to as ''the American Fabius."
1t is probably true that many Amer
leans long parted from their school
books have forgotten about Fabtus,
even though whenever an army makes
an orderly retreat for the purpose of
gaining time or reaching a more favor
able position they speak iuently of
Fabian tactics" 1t is a phrase that
comes H1ppingly off the tongue
Fabius. as might easily be guessed
from his name. was a Roman. He
commanded the legions Of Rome
against the powers of Carthage 200
years before the Christian era. The
tactics which came to be called after
Fabius were no doubt employed cen
turies before Rome was born. Fabian
tactics without doubt have been used
ever since bodies of men made war,
but it may be that Fabius so refined
or systematized those tactics that it is
just and worthy they bear his name.
Fabius in 217 B. c. stood opposite.
to the hosts or hordes of Carthagin-
ians under the brilliant leadership of
Hannibal In battle before Fabius
Maximus was called TO the supreme
command of the Roman troops in the
field the Carthaginians had been vic
tOrious. Fabius, profiting by what
had befallen his predecessors in COM
mand. avoided a pitched battle in the
open and retreated. fighting as he fell
back. holding off the enemy with
what are now described as rear guard
actions Drawing the enemy farther
and farther from base or the sources
of supplies. wearying their troops
more than he wearied his own and
delaying a battle until he reached
ground where his position would give
him a great Advantage position
against superior numbers-where the
loss in men and morale of the assail-
ants must be great and where at
Ia trnIgp
could be delivered with high promise
of success, the tactics Of Fabius won.
In some ways the phrase Fabian
tactics" has been diverted from its
original and proper significance and |
is made to comprehend any tactics of |
a particularly shrewd or "foxy" ma
ture. In this connection it has been |
said that Napoleon employed Fabian |
tactics" with brilliant success at Aus |
terlitz. The combined Austrian and |
Russian armies greatly extended their
line in an effort to turn the right
flank of the French army and cut his
It seemed as though
this move would succeed, for Napoleon
permitted it to develop without seri-
Ous resistance. Then he suddenly con-
centrated his whole strength at the
center. with the exception of portion
Of Bernadottes corps. which he left to
Zeal with the Austrian turning force.
md burst through the line, destroying
)ne wing of the Austrian army as it
Historians Of Rome deal at consid-
,rable length with a family called the
7abii. 1t is narrated that this ancient
Ind renowned family undertook the
luty Of defending Roman territory
lgainst incursions by the Valentines
md for this purpose established them
elves at a place on the Cremara river.
The Fabii were drawn into ambush
nd were all killed. The date Of that
vent is given as B. c. All.
A boy of the family Fabii had been
eft in Rome. and he became the sec
nd founder of the family. Fabius
lximus, who won his laurels and his
purs in the second Punic war, was
from that boy, and there
7as another famous member Of the
amily whose name was Fabius Pictor,
Tho wrote a history of Rome and who
} often referred to as the earliest RO-