The New York herald., 1922-02-14

The sentiment of this soldier song
received the official Endorsement of
the War Department to-day, following
an extensive study of modern warfare
b determine what methods are best
Tor tho future.
The War Department has decided
hfter taking poll of what is regarded
~ the most dependable military
thought. that nothing so far developed
s-and this includes airplanes. tanks
and poison gas-will equal the effect
iveness Of the infantryman with rifle
and bayonet. 1t means there will be
no radical departure from the present
military organization-that the SER
vice will continue to be on the alert
FOR the development and the improve
ment of new methods. which will con-
tinue, at least for the present, to be
adjuncts Of the infantry.
The War Department began the study
Of the problem some months ago. A
general questionable was sent to the
chiefs of combat branches of the army
AMI to some others to bring out the
est present military thought regarding
both basic questions and questions re-
lated to aviation. tanks and motor
transport.
The replies received showed a wide
variance of opinions as to the real
worth of the new developments. and it
is the intention of the War Department
TO hold extensive tests to determine on
its own account the correct answer to
debatable questions AS regards the
basic operations however, there was al
most unanimous agreement, and these
were announced to-day In an official
statement, which reads In part:
1t is concluded. and doctrines Of
tactics and of training will be based
accordingly:
That man remains the funda-
mental instrument in battle, and as
such cannot be replaced by any
imaginable instrument more perfect
than the human body.
That man in the bulk-meaning
the greater portion of armed forces
fights with greatest freedom of
action and with greatest efficiency
when or foot. not on horseback. in
tank, in an airplane. in a fixed
fortification. &c. that to achieve de-
cisive action he is best armed with
the rifle and bayonet; that man Is
rendered least vulnerable when mere
ly clothed against the weather and
armored by his own agility. with
steel helmet.
That battle is normally determined
by physical encounter with the bay
onet, or the fear thereof; all other
agencies of destruction. as artillery,
machine guns and aircraft, are aux
iliary in their effect, however potent.
and servo to make possible the ad-
vance of the foot soldier to hand to
hand encounter.
That infantry Is the basic combat
ant arm upon whose success normal
1y depends the success of the army;
the primary duty of other arms.
when associated with infantry, Is to
assist the infantry to achieve Its
mission by protecting and aiding Il
in every way, and by destroying
enemy resistance to its efforts.
That no arm except infantry can
be expected under normal conditions
to destroy an approximately equal
force of enemy infantry armed with
rifle and bayonet.
That while infantry Is normally
the basic arm in war. under certain
conditions or during certain phases,
cavalry may replace 1t as the basic
arm; for example, in operations
against mounted forces. or against
foot troops whose efficiency is below
normal for any reason.
As regards the debatable questions
there is agree ment on some points. Mil
itary minds agree that the constant in
crease in the size of airplanes capable
of carrying bombs does not do away
with the need for mobile field artillery.
Another item on which there Is agree
ment is that the horse cannot be re-
placed for certain military purposes
that motor transport has not reached
the state of development where all field
artillery can safely be motorized.
There is agreement also that while
aircraft will be able to do highly i'm
portant reconnaissance duty II will be
unable to completely replace cavary for
this purpose. The point is that while
aircraft Is able TO cover wider area
In much shorter time. yet bad weather
conditions affect II 20 an extent which