THE ART OF DESTRUCTION.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 193, 14 August 1880, Page 4

THE ART OF DESTRUCTION.

The curious theory was recently advanced by the Saturday Review that, after a few more improvements in firearms, there will be no more battles. There is a suggestion that this result may have already been reached in n4val warfare, in the fact that neither in Ithe Franco-Prussian nor the Russo-Turkish wars was there any. naval battle of consequence, although all the combatants had squandered immense sums of money on their navies. The inference is that, knowing that in certain contingencies their forces might be exterminated, they forbore to run the risk of exposure to hopeless destruction. I^he Review argues that this will be the ultimate result of contests between nations which equip their armies with weapons which will probably be invented during the next half century. War will become a species of game, and the army which, when brought face to face with a strong force, realises that it will be annihilated if it enters into an engagement will yield without fighting. In that very excellent and carefully-edited publication, the' United Service, published at Philadelphia, there is an article by E. Henry Lacombe which, while it does not assume to support the Review's half-serious, hlalf humorous theory, does'coutain singular facts which seem to show that erich marked improvement in destructive weapons is the cause of a decreased loss of life in battle. The writer has grouped into four periods the more - prominent battles of the last two hundred and fifty years, and has stated, with all the accuracy attainable, the average percentage of killed and wounded to the whole number engaged. He has made no effort at a selection of battles favorable to the theory, and he has included only engagements in the field. Some pitched battles, such* as Waterloo, have been omitted because accurate estimates of loss were not accessible. The first period extends from the time when the use of firearms became general to the introduction of the iron ramrod and the bayonet. The battles included in this period are those of Leipsic, Lutzen, Nordlingen, Rocroy, Marston Moor, Naseby and Seneff, and the dates range from 1631 to 1674. The lightest relative loss was at Marston Moor, 16 per cent, and the heaviest at Rocroy, 35 per cent. The average percentage of casualties for the period was 26. A noticeable feature bf this period is the large proportion of killed to the entire number of casualties. At Marston Moor the entire losses were 7500, but more than half of the number were killed ; at Rocroy, of 18,000 Spanish infantry 9000 were killed in their' ranks. The second period selected extends from 1745 to 1814, nnd 22 battles— among them Fonteuoy, Marengo, Ausierlitz, Jena, Wagram, Leipsic, and Bautzen — are included. The infantry arm of this period was the old " Brown Bess," a smooth-bore flint lock, with bayonet. The smallest relative loss in this period was at Yittoria, 8 per cent., and the largest at Zorndorf, 40 per cent. The average percentage of casualties for the period was 20£ per cent., or 5\ , per cent, less than during the previous period. The third period is that of rifled barrels and percussion caps, from 1854 to 1863. Eleven battles among them Alma, Magenta, Solferino, Shiloh, Chickahominy, Fredericksburg, Chancellorville, and Gettysburg are included ; the per centages of loss range from 8 to 20 per cent., and the average is 15 per cent, or 5^ per cent less than in the second period. The fourth period dates from the first appearance of the breechloader, and includes the battles of 'Koniggratz, Woerth, Spicheren, Mars-"le-Tour, Gravelotte, and Sedan. Thp per centage of losses ranges from 7 to 16, and the average is only 11, or 4 per cent, less than in the third period. These are very curious facts, which students of the science of way will doubtless find suggestive. The writer is careful to give: his authorities, and the figures contained in' his tabulations may doubtless be depended upon for approximate accuracy.

It is generally supposed among the better informed natives (writes thejNew Plymouth correspondent of the >N f Z. Times) that the 17th of September will be productive of some new, if not the final, phase of Te Whiti's scheme. That day is the twelfth anniversary of the initiation of the latter'splan forthe permanent establishment of Maori independence, the day of the " taka r hanga," when he metaphorically trampled under foot all queens, kings, laws, and governors. The d.»y of death is now looked for by his followers, on wbich shall be shown the day of ever; lasting life, the initiation of the Maori millennium and commencement of an era of perfect peace and happiness, when the native and his quondam enemy the

— 1 pjkcha Bhall live happily side. by side, even bb lhe lion might lie down wiith tbe7Nn?b,lar)d the -I'/rßofcalirdtangja" shell return un(o Israel— surjely a consummation devoutly to jbe hoped Jfor, .'always; provided that it- ; ie unatterided/wlth loes of -Cfl|ste on the side of *ibe- Grentile. On that day Ihe braided , coat- of the soldijer, typical -of 'his occupation, shall jbe ' thrown aside, and Jhe Governor of the Gentiles shall ltiu/gb with pleasure jin company with ihe King of Penjce, , leader of Israel on the "marae"jflt Parihaka. The hope of such a time! as this ie.a powerful incentive to* patience in suffering aodteheeriulhess.ujideri'supposed wrong, ..which is coticeeble | in' the followers of Te .y? biti ..b.oih band and free, i The inconveniences tb which the natives of Taranaki have been Eubjected by the invasion of the land they occupy have" been borne without! a rouimur, although some of thera helve cot been ns successful in (he command of their facial-muscles as they have been ■ in restraining their tongues from reproach ond tbeir arms from retaliation. r Wj,t,h respec^o[|;li^;-rjpo|sve;: which Te ' W!*iii r has jn, bis deuLant r fencing, liisA Qwn^«v l e^s-may-JVe J tak'eri '.as !] a eatis^" factory explanation. In his speech>of the 17th ult. he said^that^hese.-,; things ; took place that) his; people inigh i: suffer a multitude of wrongs, -Vnd that' bLis eyes .migh, t behold h,ist enetoy ;- in other wordß, heYwishes to be no end of a martyr, and by defiantly fencing compel the attendance at Parihaka of (ho Constabulary. A -leller,- from Mr*W.,*N Blair, Engi-neer-in-charge, Middle Island, wa;?, a tew days ago laid upon the table of ihe House, relativ'3 to the Civil Service Commission Report re- defective railway waggons. We cannot find 6paoe to republish ifc, but thofvitb of tbe letter wil! be Found in the following extracts. Mr Blair says, to him tbe most important phase of t c whole question is the serious reflections that have been enst upon his verncity. He therefore reviews the entire evidence, and suraraarisfs the principal conclusions thus t —(1) That lhe statements mode by me in my report of the 29 h June are true in every particular ; (2) That no wageons built by conlract; in Duuedin were delivered in Christchurch atjthe cod of lust year in a faulty condition ; (3) That no waggons built by contract anywhere iv tbe Midi-tie Island had to be almost rebuilt within six weeks j (4) That the only cun racfc for wfl»eons at Ojmaru was the one* with M'Na;b and Aimers, finished in November, 1875 ; (5) That the officers of the Public Works Department are in v.o way responsible for the work done in (he railway work-shops j (6) That out of a total of 4000 waggous, about 36 are alleged in general terms to ibe defective, and of these a specific description ot defects is given In six cases:; (7) That the defects are chiefly caused by shrinkage of the unseasoned timber used io the conetruqtton of the waggons ; (8) That five out of the six waggons in which tho defects are specifically described h«ve been built in th,e railway workshops by day labor ; (£>) That the sixth waggon is asserted (o . have been built in the same woiy, bat the evidence .on this point is not conclusive—it is,. however, proved that this waggon was not built by contract in Dunedin, and if built by contract ot Oainaru it is now four and a;-half years old ; (10) That the evidence given to the Royal .Cammission by Mr Allison Smith,* to the effect that the defective waggons were built ,by cpn.tract in Dunedin was given onithe authority of the Commissioner of |t"ailwßys',AJß|liddle Island, and the Looonpotive | Engineer, Dunedin, and that Mr Smith now .hows tbe evidence to be incorreor. Alarming news comes from America, (says an English paper.) It is state 1 that '''intense' heat | prevails ojn the Atlantic coast. Thirtty-two oases of sunotroke and six deaths occurred in New York on Thursday. [There have been five .deaths- from Yt-hOi same oause in Philadelphia^ two in Jersey City, and two in Newburg, | New York." The majority of our readers will learu these distressing?: facts! with considerable regret. Prompted by the enterprising proprietor of a-NewlYork journal the Yankees, have for some time past packed up samples ofi their worst weather, and sent them over to England. We have been favored with eccentric storms centres, showing unpleasant hubita of "developing energy on the way, galea which " veer " froth north-west to south-east; lightning and: hail, rain and snow mixed up in tbe most charming confusion. Fears are now naturally entertained that Brother Jonathan will send us a speci- ' men of his latest brewing, -and that the ; next *-*■ weather report " from the Par West will -announce, the departure of a great " heat wave," attended. by jsuai•stroke and cholera,