Indiana daily times., 1920-01-31
GAS IN FUTURE
WARS WILL BE
PAINLESS KIND
British General Asserts There
Is No Objection to Such
VapOrs.
AIRCRAFT GREAT THING
By GEN. SIR LOUIS JACKSON,

n. n.
LONDON, Jan. Sit it quite clear
that we are on the eve of The most ex-
tensive notifications in the art of war
known to history. The changes made in
the recent war were only the beginning.
1t is necessary to develop new arms with
the knowledge that the nation which best
does so will have a great advantage In the
next war.
There are people who were crying for
q reduction Of armaments and who de-
1 clare that another war Is an impossible
tty just as, six years ago, they declared
gar with Germany was an imposstbflity.
r h future wars we shall be exposed to
much greater dangers than in the re-
cent war. Germany has not refrained
from saying that she hoped for revenge
some day.
believe that one of the greatest de-
velopments in the art of war will be
brought about in mechanical transport.
The tank was a freak which was called
into existence by exceptional circum-
stances which are not likely to recur,
and which If they do recur can be dealt
with by other means. The outstanding
feature of the tanks has been that they
made mechanical transport independent
of the roads. That is going to influence
most deeply the tactics of the future.
If the whole of the transport of an army
is carried by vehicles with caterpillar
wheels it will be Independent of the roads.
There would be no long columns Of
transport. An army could advance in
open order on u broad front carrying
guns, munitions, supplies and men. At
the same time fast cars and motorcycles
would be useful for sudden blows at long
distances.
GAS HUMANE
IN SOME CASES.
With regard to the use Of gas in future
wars, there is no more reason to forbid
its use than to forbid the use of rifles.
There are gases which kill painlessly,
and it is easy to conceive cases in which
it would be more humane to use gas than
explosive shells. 1t might be possible to
come to some agreement that no gas
should be used which would cause un-
necessary suffering. Commercial progress
and prosperity in the twentieth century
will depend on chemistry, and chemical
productions mast have a great effect on
all future warfare
We need not trouble ourselves yet with
fying destroyers, or fving concrete forts,
hut in twenty years time the air force
: estimates may be the most important
part of our preparations for war. Bomb
ing and reconnaissance machines will be
developed by commerce for the machines
used In commerce can easily be adapted
for war purposes, and civilian pilots
can be taken over with the machines.
For fighting machines special types are
required, and highly specialized military
training is necessary for the personnel.
One result of 4 return to open war
fare probably will be that bombers will
not have the same targets near the
front of the armies and will secure bet
ter results by going farther afeld 1no
bombing the centers where munitions Gre
manufactured, stores are accumulated
and troops trained.
WIRELESS TO BE
IMPORTANT THING.
Wireless telegraphy will be the pr!n-
cipal means of communicating with air.
craft and a development of the electrical
listening posts used in trench warfare !;
n ground wireless system viii become
the standard means of communication
between advanced infantry and the head
quarters controlling them. / believe also
that smoke and light signals, a pillar
of cloud by day and pillar Of fire by
night will be used by troops to show the
positions they reach.
There has never been a war before
III WHICH suCH an GAlIeme variety pl
weapons were employed. The long rife
has seen its day and should be replaced
by a short carbine which would be ac-
curate up to 500 yards. Each man should
nlso carry a good dagger which might
he made attachable to the carbine like
a bayonet. I do not think the automatic
pistol will survive, and I am not sure
that the grenade viii not also go, If as
sumed that in future we will have open
warfare.
The artillery must be of a character
that 1t can be brought to the required
position in the shortest possible time.
Caterpillar traction should be employed,
and If we allow for daily advance Of
twelve miles the guns must be capable of
an effective barrage up to $4,000 yards.
The soldier OF the future must be ab-
Solutely different from his predecessors.
The days have gone by when initiative
was considered not only unnecessary but
dangerous. In addition to his rife, the
soldier should be able to handle q Lewis
or machine gun, and to help the artillery.
He should know something Of explosives.
have a knowledge Of fuses, understand
signalling, and be capable of handling
q ground wireless set He should re-
ceive intensive training and really good
Instruction