The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-02-22
BRAINS ESSENTIAL
IN TR0OPSNOWADAYS
Mental Superiority of Teu,
tons Caused Great Rus
sian Reverse.

(By Associated Press.)
VIENNA, Feb. 22.-To what ex'
tent does technical superiority dis
count inferiority in numbers?
To this question a large number OF
and German OIL
GERS with long experience at the vari:
GUS fronts have replied that technical
superiority, depending upon terrain
conditions, nature Of the work to be
done. and quality of the troops in
volved, is today in all cases the ele'
ment which decides the outcome OF a
military action. III.
Bravery In officers and men was as
essential as formerly, OF course, It
was said, but it had value only II cou-
pied with a high degree OF 1ntelli'
gence A brave heart governed by a
stupid head ceased soon to beat now.
adays, the men asserted unanimously.
The day of brute physical courage
was over. Only troops In whom intel
ligence, moral courage and a fair
amount of pluck. were inherent and
had been welded by thorough training
and discipline could be called first
class today, because only. such troops
were able to get maximum results
from the technical methods now used
in warfare. ,5sA
Technical superiority starts with
the character and ability OF a general
staff and ends with the quality OF
barbed wire; in other words, its ele-
ments and phases are as varied and
manifold as are the means with which
modern warfare Is being conducted.
According to The Associated Press
correspondents informants IT was
technical superiority alone which de.
feated the Russian army. This may
best be understood in contemplation
Of the fact that the Russians lost to
the Central Powers forces sixteen
fortresses in As days during the drive
in the summer OF 1915. Here the
greatest single element of technical
superiority is declared to have been
leadership. Second in Importance is
rated the great efficiency of German
and Austro.H Hungarian heavy artil-
lery. Third is the highly developed
field intelligence service Of the Cen
trial Powers armies, in whom air
craft, cavalry I'D infantry patrols, and
the possession OF first class military
maps are assigned an almost equal
share. The fourth factor was the high
quality of German and Austro.Hun
garian machJne.tuns, and last, be-
cause in a class by itself, must be
ranged the excellent work of the sup
ply troops.
In every one Of these. departments,
say these officers. the Russian army
was inferior. The excuse made by
its general staff at the time that a
lack OF ammunition was responsible
for the series OF reverses, has been
shown to be idle. The stores of small
arms and artillery ammunition left
behind by the Russians on their re-
treat are said to be greater than the
quantities used by them during the
rolling up"
It was not lack OF bravery, how
ever, that prevented the Russians
from coming to halt sooner. The
courage of the Russian soldier has
never been doubted by the Austro'
Hungarian and German officers and
men. What contributed mostly to the
debacle was the absence Of capable
officers in sufficient Srtlmbers; low
military intelligence and uneven
training of the men, and the Russian
tactical system, which, based upon
principals OF defense was not equal
Ito the nimble-mindedness possessed
by officers and troops trained for the
offensive above all else.
No figures on the numbers employ
ed by Germany and Austro.H Hungary
In the offensive against Russia last
summer are available, but officers
claim that generally the Russians out
numbered their, aggressors. from three
and four to one.
From what is learned here. the day
is not far OF when the trenches Of
the German positions in Russia will
have machine gun to every ter; rifles
and the most extensive barbed wire
fields yet laid out, ready to meet the
Russian offensive.
To the Russians these things are
not unknown, of course, as the follow.
ing description OF a Duna sector,
which appeared recently in a Petro-
grad paper. shows:
1.-THE tremendous labyrinth OF Ger
man trnches," says the writer In part,
grows more intricate as it nears our
own lines. The German trenches now
have peculiar character; they are
wide on top and narrow at the bottom
with walls that slant considerable
sSsS so that shell fragments
striking them are detected upward
and outward. Back Of this front runs q
railroad, capable OF gerat service. 81
1.-THE enemy ia terrifying the terrain,
has established concrete foundations
10 grteavy. guns, Is assembling batter
.zSasasi I'll E1544!sssssry, builds under