Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1917-06-08


quires Good Artillery stock and Al.
most Perfect Conditions - The Pace
For Soldiers In Various Countries.
The infantry pace varies in detail in
the armies Of the nations. Il varies
not only in length OF step, but in the
number OF steps to the minute, and
zach nation, Of course, thinks its
step Is the best
One peculiar step, known as the 'pa
rade march, "ror goose STEP" is used
at times by German soldiers. No 9th.
er 0rmy has a step similar to II. The
German goose step consists in throw
ing out the legs without bending the
knees, and It is used only on ceremo-
NAL occasions, In changing guard and
when q detachment Of men pass an
officer of high rank.
The rate Of march Of a detachment
OF infantry In active service depends
on many factors, including the size OF
the marching body or the length of the
column, the training, physical condi.
ton and spirit OF the troops, the road
and the weather.
Two and a half miles an hour and az.
teen miles a day is a good average for
seasoned infantry carrying, Of course,
field equipment. Seasoned troops In
good spirits and spurred by the pros
pect Of action may be depended on to
do much better than this when the sit.
uation requires 1t, but when an In
fantry division or eve a brigade has
moved over fifteen miles of road I'm one
day It has done a days work.
Stonewall Jackson's foot cavalry OF
the valley now and then covered for
/ ty miles In one march. but 1t was eX
t%raordlnary infantry.
In some Of the press reports from
the Russo-Japanese war It Yves given
out that oil occasion large bodies OF
japanese infantry covered city miles
Of road in a day and night and came
up on the firing line fresh enough to
shoot But a great many prodigies
we're accredited to Japanese troops in
that war.
II has long been a saying among
military men OF countries other than
France that the French foot soldier
has the best legs in Europe. and the
mobility of an army depends on It's
feet and legs. Infantry is as good rs
Its feet. An infantryman who can
march and shoot is worth a regiment
Of men who straggle, hunt shade, pant
for water, develop bllsters on the feet
and keep their ears pricked up only
for mess call. sick call and recall.
In the American army the length Of
the full step in quick time is thirty
inches, measured from heel to heel
and the cadence Is at the rate Of 100
steps to the minute. At 100 steps to
the minute the soldier marches 5000
inches q minute, which equals 100
yards. And marching 100 yards Il
minute he will march 6,000 yards In
one hour, or three and nine twenty
seconds Of a mlle-a little under three
and a half miles. They do not do this
practically because time must be taken
out for rest.
= The British Infantry step is thirty
y one and one half inches, the longest OF
all the steps. Germany keeps step
with Switzerland. each doing thirty
one inches, while Twenty-Five inches
Is the pace Of the armies OF Italy,
France and Austria. The Russians
! take the shortest step, twenty seven
and one half inches and only do IL
In n minute. The German lnfantryman
does ia, the Austrian ll5 and the
French and Italian each manage 100
Consequently. to march a mile takes
the Russian twenty minutes. the II
/ trian eighteen and two-thirds minutes
the French aud Italian eighteen min
I utes. while the German could beat this
by ten OF eleven seconds.
A fair days march for a hnttcry OF
! BATTALION or regiment Of field artillery
Is twenty miles, hut to nuke tins day
, nfter day on the uSual American rnnc
, without killing the horses nut only r.
quires good artillery stock with SOM
! warm blood In their arteries, hut per
2 feet Citing harness aud drivers wh'
, have some native Intelligence and int
whom discipline has been hammered
rhe usual practice IN the light artillery
Is 10 march for ifty minutes nnd hal
and rest ten minutes During tina
rest. which Is mniniy In the interest o'
the horses. collars nrp urrncd and lni'
back 50 that a horses shoulder may
he relieved and cOuled. ami. Of course
the timber props are let down that TN
: weight Of the pole ma be- taken OF
the necks of the wheClPrs, -Spukan,
} Spokesman Itpvirv.