The Manawatu Herald. Thursday, April 27, 1916. NEW CONDITIONS OF WAR.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1543, 27 April 1916, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. Thursday, April 27, 1916. NEW CONDITIONS OF WAR.

The well known Russian publicist, Michael MenshikolT, thus contrasts conditions of war as they were and as they are : “After the past year and a half of war it has become quite obvious that the present struggle, in its character, is quite different from those of the past. Victory will belong to the side which is quickest in understanding this, and in renouncing methods which were effective then but would be dangerous now. In olden days, wars were decided by armies, marches, manoeuvres, general battles, victories, and, first and foremost, by the valour of heroes, who preferred death to defeat. Nowadays, these elements have certainly changed. Instead of armies we now have countries in arms, the nature of which is different from that of well trained and disciplined armies. Instead of marches and stragetic manoeuvres, it has been lound more expedient to sit face to face in trenches behind wire entanglements. Instead of general battles we have exterminating fire from both sides, and poisonous gasses. Instead of victory there is a mechanical sweeping away of the enemy. Genius and heroism are also important, but they are not the deciding factors. Instead of genius, the flight of which is restrained to the uttermost by the mechanical system of war, talent is quite sufficient, and, sometimes even simple, but sane, mediocrities adequately fill the roles of the engineers and stokers of battle. Such, in my opinion, are the the famous field-marshals of our enemies, Hindenburg and Mackensen.”