The Dominion. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1914. THE MAN AND THE MACHINE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2275, 8 October 1914, Page 4

The Dominion. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1914. THE MAN AND THE MACHINE

The mechanical side of warfare has been brought to such a wonderful degree of efficiency during the last half-century by modern science and invention that, prior to the outbreak of the present war, the beliefwas gaining, ground that the human element was destined to sink to a place of secondary importance in the clash of nations on sea and land. It was, of course, recognised that battles could not be fought without men. Indeed it was quite evident that armies would be far larger than ever before; but it seemed that the terrible power 'of destruction possessed by the latest types of machine guns, submarines, mines and other explosives, and various other mechanical methods of attack and defence must inevitably make the quantity and quality of the armaments at,the disposal of the belligerents an infinitely more important fighting factor than the men themselves. It has, however, been made abundantly ■clear during the course of the great struggle which is now going on that victory or defeat still depends almost as much as ever it did upon the man behind the gun. The Paris correspondent of the London Times states that one of the principal lesscUis taught by the Battle of the Aisne is that a machine, gun, no matter how powerful, is insecure against man's two hands, and that-every battle in the last issue is won by the bayonet. The prominent part which the bayonet has played in the fighting is certainly.somewhat surprising to the general,public, who have heard and read so' much about the long range, the precision, and the deadly effect of the guns now.in use. One won-, ders how the opposing forces can ever! get near enough for the struggle to resolve itself into a fight with cold steel between man and man. The troops have often been mowed down in thousands before they get to close quarters; but gun power cannot altogether stop them. Wo are told that the British soldiers "made charges which were impossible by all the rules of the game, ,and wrested victory from the very teeth of defeat." The idea that the machine gun was'bound to send the bayonet-, to the scrap heap has been exploded by the experience of the past two months. Cold steel has over, and over again been the decisive factor in engagements, and when it comes to the- use of the bayonet the human element becomes all-important. "In war the moral is to the phyeical as three to one." So wrote Napoleon. Some people may.bo inclined to think- that, however true this judgment may have been a hundred years ago, the changes which have since taken place in the ways and weapons of warfare have altered the relative importance between the moral and physical factors;' but those who ought to know best hold to the opinion that, in spite _of all these changes, the map is still superior to. the gun. Military experts contend that the human, or; moral, element maintains the supremacy which it had' in the days of Napoleon though its three to one superiority may nave been lessened. ,Tho prolonged and nerve-shaking engagements which are now taking place put all the qualities which go to make a good soldier to a very severe' test. Never in the' history of war making has there been greater need for courage, endurance, cheerfulness, confidence, and physical fitness. The charactor of the fighting men is all important. The most perfect mechanical inventions cannot win victories for an army that lacks the proper fighting*sp.irit. Sift Charles Ottley tells us "that the moral factor in all cases and at every epoch dominates and controls the material." The "fighting spirit"—the desire, to get at the enemy in "anything that floats"— transcends every other weapon in a nation's armoury; and if that spirit is present all other difficulties can be surmounted, while without it the thickest armour, the biggest allshattering guns shrivel in battle to the measure of mere useless Bcrap 'iron. Sir Charles Ottley was thinking mainly of naval war when he penned these words, but the underlying idea holds good of the Army as well as of the Navy; and it is gratifying to know that our troops in France have proved in a most impressive manner that the fighting spirit of the British Army is just as vigorous to-day as it was in the days of Edward 111, Henry V, Marlborouqh, or Wellington. It wduld, however, be extremely foolish to underestimate the value of the material factor in war. It is of tremendous importance. To ensure victory the most complete organisation and the most effective weapons are necessary as well as the best men. Although Sir Charles Ottley has defined the true fighting spirit as the desire to get at the enemy in "anything that floats," no one could insist moro strongly on the duty of the nation to seo that its sailors are not sent out to meet tho enemy "in anything that floats," but in "the most modern and perfect types of warship that human ingenuity can design." The material factor is only second in importance to the moral clement in war, and.a very c]oso second, too.