New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-01-04
Britain Is Warned
10 Be Prepared for
Another Great War.
General Sir Louis Jackson
Urges Close Study of All
Lessons of Recent Con.
flict; Favors Use of Gas
Foyye1w Ptses Bursots
Netc York. Tribune

LONDON, Dec. 18Th q paper on
The Possibilities Of the Next War;.
read at tho Royal United Service In
stitution yesterday, Major General Sir
Louis Jaskson suggested that there
would be . return to open warfare,
says "The London Times" Mechani-
cal transport would influence most
deeply the tactics Of the future. Gases
which killed painlessly might be used.
Air fighting would be enormously de-
veloped. The long rife would be sue
ceeded by short carbine, and artil-
lery would be much more mobile.
Lord Peel, Under Secretary for War,
presided, and among those present
were Field Marshal Lord Methuen,
Lieutenant General Sir Herbert Miles,
Major General Sir Francis Bond, Major
General e. D. Swinton, Major General
Sir W. H. Hirkbeck, Sir r. H. Brade.
Major General E. C. Donald and
Colonel +. C. Stone.
General Jackson said his object was
really to arouse controversy on certain
points. 1t was quite clear that we
were on the eve of the most extensive
notifications in the art Of war known
to history, and the changes made in
the recent war were only the begin
ling. 1t was necessary to develop new
arms with the knowledge that the ma
tion which best did so would have q
great advantage in the next war.
There were people who were crying
for reduction Of ornaments and who
declared that another war was an Inn
possibility Just as, six years 60, they
declred wwr with Germany WAS an Inn
possibility. In future wars we should
be exposed to much greater dangers
than in the recent war. And Ger
many had not refrained from saying
that she hoped for revenge some day.
Sees End Of Tanks
He believed that one of the greatest
developments in the art Of war would
be brought about in mechanical trans
port. The tank was freak which had
been called into existence by excep-
tional circumstances, which were not
likely to recur, and which If they did
means. The outstanding feature Of
the tanks had been that they had made
mechanical transport independent Of
the roads. That was going to influ-
ence most deeply the tactics of the
future. If the whole Of the transport
Of an army was carried by vehicles
with caterpillar wheels it would be
independent Of the roads.
There would be no long column OF
transport, but it could advance in
open order on broad front carrying
guns, munitions, supplies and men. At
the same time fast cars and motor
cycles would be useful for sudden
blows at long distances.
Favors Use Of Gas
With regard to the use Of gas In
future wars, he said that there was no
more reason to forbid its use than to
forbid the use of rifles. There were
gaseswhih killed painlessly and it was
easy to conceive cases in which 1t
would be more humane to use gas than
explosive shells. That was especially
the case with punitive expeditions that
no gas should be used which would
cause unnecessary suffering. Com
mercial progress and prosperity in the
Goth century would depend on chem
istry, and chemical productions must
have a great effect on all future war
fare.
1t was in the air that we were face
to face with the problem Of the fu--
ture. 1t was in the air that we had
had the most important advance in the
art of tho war We need not trouble
ourselves yet with flying destroyers,
or flying concrete forts, but IN twenty
years time the Air Force Estimates
might be the most important part Of
our preparations for war. Bombing
and Reconnaissance machines would be
developed by commerce, for the ma
chimes used in commerce could easily
be adapted for war purposes, ana
civilian pilots could be taken over with
the machines. For fighting machines
special types were required and highly
specialized military training was nee
essary for the personnel.
For both machines and the men to
man them that side Of flying must be
developed by the government. One re.
suit Of return to open warfare would
probably be that bombers would not
have the same targets near the front
Of the armies and would secure better
results by going farther afeld ond
bombing the centers where munitions
were manufactured, stores were &C
cumulated and troops were trained.
For Better Liasson
Dealing with the liasson service, he
pointed out that there was much room
for simp1ification, and the open war
fare of 1918 had led to the elimination
of some forms Of communication which
had been used previously. Wireless
teleeraphy would be the principal
means Of communicating with aircraft
and a development Of the electrical
listening posts used in trench war.
fare, ground wireless system would
become the standard means OF couamu-
nication between advanced infantry
and the headquarters controlling them.
He believed also that smoke and light
signals, 9 pillar Of cloud by day and
a pillar Of Are by night would be used
by troops to show The positions they
had reached.
There had never been war in which
such an extreme variety Of weapons
had been employed. The long rifle had
seen it's day and should be replaced
by short carbine which would be
accurate up to 500 yards. Each man
should also carry . good dagger which
might be attached to the carbine like
a bayonet: He did not think the au-
tomato pistol would survive. and he
was not sure that the grenade would
in future they would have open war
fare. .-..
The soldier Of the future must be
itiative was considered not only un-
necessary, but dangerous. In addition
to his rife, he should be able to handle
q Lewis or machine gun, and to help
the artillery. He should know some
thing of explosives, have q knowledge
Of fuses, understand signalling, and be
capable of handling ground wireless
1ef He shou1d receive intensive train