The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-08-23

20 Keep a Dig gun MOVING ApaG6 with
marching army This would re-
gun and 1t would also necessitats
the carrying OF provisions for the
horses and the attention of q num-
Der of men In handling them, with
a very poor net result
Tremendous Gums.
The motor tractor has done away
with all these separate units. A
single tractor is capable of hauling
the train Of three cars which COM
prises the entire equipment for the
big gun and It's crew. It can SO
heavy artillery that it can easily
outstrip the fastest moving Infantry.
In this manner the big guns may,
in advance of the coming OF troops.
concentrate their fire upon fortf-
ffcation for few hours and then
be separately hurried to other points
where their Irresistible bombardment
is necessary to prepare for other as
saults.
Some idea Of the tremendous force
OF these big field pieces may be had
from the fact that a 800 centfmeter
gun throws an explosive projectlel
weighing 800 pounds distance OF
more than six miles. The forty-two
centimeLer gun hurls a Sixteen-fnch
shell, weighing more than ton.
something over seven miles. No SUI
rer-dreadnaught ever CONSTRUCTED
could Withstand the onslaught Of
such a battery, but 1t is highly inn
probable that a feet commander
battery in which he would be So
hopelessly outWeighed.
But 1t is not alone in the destruc-
ton Of the European forts that the
motor tractors have played such an
important role. They have invad-
ed the theater of diplomacy and itl
lis not too much to say that the
necessity for the rapid movement OF
the big guns-which was synono-
nous with east Transportation by
the tractors-led to the invasion Of
Belgium during the first days OF the
war. The highways of Belgium and
those connecting northern France
with the Flemish border, are much
more level than those elsewhere on
lthe frontier and 1t is an open secret
abroad that this was potent rea-
son for the choice of. the German
route.
Certainly war which includes the
demolition Of fortresses made pos
tempted changing of the entire poll
teal may OF a continent in order
that these numbering juggernauts
may have an easier path, is some
thing novel IN history. Who knows
but that Germany's decision to In
wade Belgium may not lie at the
door of some contractor, long since
dead. who failed to build the roads
to the south of that country as well
as he should?
Forts ON Wheeis
If the motor-driven artillery has
supplied the body blows Of the pre-
hentN war, the armored automobile, a.
member of the same family, has been
but no less telling victories. But
the allies and the Germans have
used the fort on wheels" with ex-
cellent effect and the entrance of
Italy into the war assured the al
lied forces OF q large number OIL
very valuable machines, the Isotta
Franchini type of armored automo-
bile, with revolving turret not
unlike that Of Gruson, battery, being
considered to represent the finest &C.
Movement in this line Of offensive
warfare
The armored automobile has prov
ed most efettua1 weapon in pre-
venting the Expectations of snipers
and in disposing of large forces of
armed citizens or smaller forces of
trained troops It is almost GER
tainty that the plan of campaign Of
an invading army for the next de-
cade or two will be to throw out
a fan of these rapidly moving forts.
each armed with machine guns and
carrying crew OF three or four men,
and sweep the country clear of snip
ers and isolated bodies OF men who
~
of the invading army verv difficult.
Snipng illuminated.
This PROCEDURE is applicable not
only to open country but also to the
towns in which citizens may have
barrfcaded themselves in anticipa-
ton of the enemy's entrance. A
few armored automobiles, the crews
of which are amply protected from
rifle fire by the light steel coverings,
could sweep the streets and effectu-
ally dispose OF any armed resistance.
Light barricades could be over
thrown by charge of these ma
chimes. while heavier ones could be
shot away with the machine guns.
In this manner the entrance OF the
invading army could be made com
paratively safe and sniping, one of
the terrors Of warfare, would be
practically eliminated.
The lessons OF the present war
have been many and. from military
standpoint, revolutionary. But when
the final accounting is made and the
nations take stock of the weapons
which they will need to hold the
pace of the god OF war. 1t is doubt
full If any single weapon will take
precedence of the automobile. with
its infinite possibilities Of adapta-
tion to the supreme emergency.
Greenland in 1918 exported $780,
900 worth of cryoIite.
E,,or,, homo ,a,ifh . rhnna 10 4