The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1915-10-16
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ule' for, even if the defense is not penetrated
the resultant shock is serious as a bullet
wound 1t is therefore this glancing surface
"hich should be studied if armour is to have any
place in modern warfare and metal of high
temper and light in weight should be employed
IL is unthinkable that such defenses will ever be
omcially recognized. for, if issued on a large
scale. they would greatly impede the mobility Of
troops already carrying more dead weight than
did the soldier of the sixteenth century in his
suit of half-armor. If such contrivances are pur-
chased privately exhaustive test should be in
sisted upon. and proof should be recorded by
some responsible body. it in the days of
Charles l, when the ArDuorers 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
suredly be far more of a danger than a protec-
ton.
1t is impossible to criticize the modern produc-
tons without seeing them in actual use in the
trenches but it would that the pistol
shield with crossed bars is in direct opposition
to the theory that the "gancing surface is of
Importance, for here, wherever the bullet strikes
it will deliver the full force of it's blow and will
not fly of 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 it should be
provided with brim curvng outward like the
chapel de fer of the sixteenth century. The
French helmet appears to provide lodg-
ments for the bullet in the straight brim and
high comb but again it should be noted that it is
impossible to criticize practically until the de-
Tense is in action.
Besides the ordinary body of the late
seventeenth century in the Tower collection
there are few interesting specimens of siege
implements which were the precursors of modern
contrivances. The chevaux de frise of the days
of Wellington are series of sergeants' pixies
joined by horizontal rods, and arranged that
they be stretched across road or the breach
in wall protection against cavalry-an
ticipation Of the present barbed wire entangIe-
ment. The sappers manteIs of leather and iron
have continued in from the time of the Ro-
mans up to today, and the weighty trappings
that used in the middle of the seventeenth
century show that even then was serious
ly used in the trench work. Several of the eight
eenth century E1uskets in the Tower of London
have brass cups fixed to the barrel butt from
which grenades thrown, necessary precau-
ton when the fuse used was the slow match.
Step by step trace the evolution of mill
tary invention, and it is peculiarly interesting
to find that today, in the light of al our scien-
tifc knowledge and experience suddenly
forced back to make use of appliances of four
hundred years ago which had but recently
stigmatized 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
less for service than a uniform of the body
guard of royalty. And you recall that corselet
and steel headpiece still seen in St James
park, or in Potsdan. or indeed in Republican