The New York herald., 1921-05-23
Let us, then, study man in battle,
for it is he who really fights

Let us, then. study man in battle. for It Is
he who really fights" These statements are
only preparation for the following Man
does not enter battle to fight. but for VIC
tory. He does everything that he can to
avoid the first and obtain the second. /.
Man taxes his ingenuity to be able TO kill
without running the risk of being killed
His bravery Is born of his strength, and
it is not absolute. Before a stronger he
fees without shame. The instinct of self
preservation is so powerful that he does not
feel disgraced in obeying 1t, although. thanks
TO the defensive power of arms and armor
he can fight at close quarters"
1t may be thought that man alone would
act thus, but not in a mass. Colonel Du
Pica says otherwise. Collective man." he
states. "a disciplined body OF troops formed
in tactical battle order, is invincible against
an undiscipined body OF troops. But against
a similarly disciplined body he becomes
again primitive man. He fees before a
greater force OF destruction when he recog
nizes il or foresees IL. Nothing Is changed
in the heart Of man. Discipline keeps en-
emies face to face little longer, but cannot
supplant the instinct OF self-preservation
and the sense Of fear that goes with IL.
Fear There are officers and soldiers who
do not know t. but they are people OF rare
grit The mass shudders. because you cam
not suppress the flesh"
As a last testimony to this writer's un-
conventional methods of thought we quote
the following. all the more surprising 70 us
who always look upon politicians as the
force most apt to bring disaster to our
armies and our wars: "The Roman, a poll
tican above ALL with whom war was only a
means, wanted perfect means. He had no
Illusions He took into account human
weakness and he discovered the legion"
our modern politicians only discover scan
dals in war.
But II may be asked II this Is mans un-
failing habit in war, how can armies be
fashioned and victories won? Col Du Picq
explains The mass depends upon leaders,
good arms are added and methods Of fight
ting: eve animate with passion. a violent
desire FOR Independence a religious fanati-
cism. national pride. love OF glory, a mad
ness FOR possession" Then discipline, from
which II bred unity ont of which confidence
appears. that Intimate confidence, firm and
conscious which does not forget itself In
tho heat 81 action and which alone makes
true combntants. Then we have an army"
one of the speculations aroused In this
reviewers mind while reading Coi.fDu Picq's
pages was the effect that might be produced
on our nation n there were twenty-five men
In Ii who could write with such vigor about
war Would II make OF us a nation Of war
riors 1T would We become disgusted and
disheartoned about war? Unquestionably.
IN these writer's worked under the spell ~
the spirit of the first part OF tho book, the
firrt result would be achieved But II car
ricd through 10 the end we believe the sec
ond result would follow. Possibly this French
ofncar who realized more fully than most
~ his compatriots what fate was 70 befall
France In The war with Prussia. selt the
shadows ~ tho prison house closing IN on
him and pictured battles as "buffooneries' 7
m is inconcevable that this work will
ever have a popular success outside of
military circles But within them ID Il 20 be
hoped Ii win he studied and taken to heart.
for its Importance Is Of tho highest Col.
Greely and Major Cotton have made ain adj
nlrahic and spirited translation Of the
original text