The sun., 1918-10-13

scale and with an elaboration never
dreamed of by the widest prophets and
the most vivid imaginations five years
ago."
In former wars the employment of cav
airy to pursue and harass retreating foe
or to protect a rear guard and thereby
prevent an orderly retreat from being
turned into a rout, was an important and
familiar feature of tactics; but there has
been little opportunity for this in the
present struggle. Gen. Greene says that
the Allies have ceased buying horses in
America except such as are purchased for
draught purposes; and motors have been
found to be generally preferable to these
where there is a sufficient supply Of gas
olene to furnish the power and of rub
Der for the wheel tires. The machine gun
is also a novel element in tactics, en-
abling, as it sometimes does, few men
to do the destructive work which formerly
required battalion or regiment.
The extraordinary military ability Of
Washington and his experience in the
revolution impressed him deeply with the
necessity of making some provision for the
instruction of American officers in the
science and art of war. In his advocacy
of the establishment of well disciplined
army for purposes of national defence
he was zealously aided by Alexander
Hamilton. "Their ideas bore fruit (curi-
ously enough when Jefferson was Presi-
dent) in the establishment Of a military
academy at West Point" , 1t was sickly
child, says Gen. Greene, from the date of
its foundation in 1902 until 1917, when
President Monroe appointed as its super
intendent Silvanus Thayer, "who saved
the military art from becoming lost art
in this country" He was a scientific of
ficer with genius for organization, who
had been sent to Europe by President
Madison to spend two years in studying
Notifications and the battlefields on
which Napoleon had won his victories
"Within four years, by the sheer force Of
his own will, his ripe scholarship and his
extensive knowledge of military affairs, he
had produced the Military Academy as
it has existed without fundamental or
vital change for nearly 100 years."
To be classed with Silvanqs Thayer as
one of the makers of West Point is Den
mis- 81. Mahan, who was cadet there dur
ing Thayer's superintendency and who
became professor of civil and military en-
gineering in the academy in 1882. with
but few exceptions all the soldiers who
gained distinction in the Mexican, civil,
Spanish and Indian wars were pupils of
Mahan," and from him and his numerous
books they learned more basic principles
of strategy and tactics to which we have
referred. "He was the able father of a
distinguished son-Capt. Alfred T. Mahan
of the navy, whose books on the influence
Of sea power affected the subsequent de-
velopment of all the great navies of the
world.
All the numerous schools of instruction
for officers which the enlargement of our
army has made necessary must be based
more or less on the West Point system,
and the more nearly they approach it the
more likely it is that the country will
have eauss to be proud Of their product.
Every one who reads Gen. Greene's lit
tie book will be able to talk about the war
more intelligently than he did before.
OUR FIRST YEAR IN THE GREAT WAR.
BY AJoR-GENERAL FRANCIS WILTON
GREENE, U. 8. v. G. P. Putnam Is Sons.