Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1915-11-05
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Copyright. 1915. by W. G. chapman.)


two leading powers of the Triple Al
lance, opening the way, as it did, to-
ward Austrian hegemony in the Ae-
gean. It meant that henceforth, in
stead of a single powerful confedera-
ton in the Balkans, there would exist
a medley of disunited, warning states.
The British government had become
convinced that trouble was brewing.
England's relations with the dual mon
archy, which had remained friendly
even after Austria's seizure of Bosnia,
in 1909, had grown inexplicably
strained. Sir Edward Grey had re-
quested me to join Capt. Philip Muir
ray, the British military attache ac-
companying King Constantine's army
in Thrace, and watch the development
of events.
In the course Of the interview which
the British foreign secretary accorded
me before my departure he indicated
that Captain Murray would be able to
give me certain information that might
throw light upon the problem which
was to be solved.
Captain Murray and I were seated
upon our horses a few yards beneath
the crest of hill, watching through
our glasses the attack of the Greek
troops upon the Bulgarian positions.
1t was three weeks since the outbreak
of the second Balkan war, and eacn
day had seen signal triumph achieved
by King Constantine's splendid army.
"It is amazing!" exclaimed as Cap
tain Murray unfolded the theme of our
conversation. cit is the most astouno-
ing scientific discovery of the century
along these lines. 1t will completely
revolutionize the art of warfare.
ct will abolish war;" replied the at
tache, as he held the glasses to his
eyes.
The crested slopes two miles away
were aflame with bursting shells. Be-
hind improvised earthworks there the
Bulgarian lines awaited the attack. Up
the slopes struggled the heroic GREEKS,
decimated by the rifle fire OF their
concealed enemies, advancing, falling
but never falling back; advancing
always advancing.
A line five miles in length, extend
ing from end to end of the wide val
ley was sweeping upward to drive
King Ferdinands men from the hills.
Those hills were the key to another
valley, dominated by another range.
So. from hill to hill, the Greeks had
swept each day, always fighting, al
ways conquering.
The little scattered bands rushed
forward, dropped, rose, advanced, died,
or began crawling, wounded, back
toward the rear through the supports
that came on behind them. The prog
ress seemed infinitely slow, and was
possible at all only by virtue of the
artillery fire that played increasingly
upon the defenders.
Every modern battle is won by
about fifty resolute men, said Captain
Murray, turning his horses head to-
ward mine "How little stands be-
tween defeat and victory only soldiers
know. OF the thousand or so who
finally attempt to rush the deadly fire
zone of three hundred yards between
themselves and the enemy, half will
be shot down. The rest press forward,
waver-all hangs in the balance. Then,
if the courage of the attack exceeds
the resolution of the defense fifty men,
inspiring the attack, lead their COM
rades to victory. And therefore say,
given fifty men who cannot be killed,
every attack can be pressed home
and the result is the qualification OF
war"
ct means" / answered, "a return
to the old days of the sword and
battle-ax. But for the necessary mo-
bility of modern armies, no doubt the
era of the high explosive would have
landed US again in the days of chain
armor. If this bullet-proof cloth has
actually been made
''Look at our mani" replied Captain
Murray impatiently.
And twenty yards in front of the
foremost Greek tiny figure, armed
only with a sword, advanced non
chalantly. He seemed to bear a
charmed life. Men fell by dozens and
scores, but he was untouched. He
strolled to within fifty PAGES of the
trenches, and, turning, waved his
sword.
With an exultant cry which family
reached us the whole Greek force ran
forward For one instant the bullets
reaped their CORY crop; the next the
Greeks were in the trenches, bayonet-
ing the Bulgarians. And the man with
the sword still led them.
A prolonged shout, fluttering
Greek flag upon the hilltop, and the
BuIgarians streamed away in wild
rout, chastised numerically by the ar
tillery.
you see what one man can do,
said Captain Murray to me. What
would fifty do, then, dressed in this
hlllet-proof cloth? What would a
Mole army do?"
II Al, 1,o,