THE WAR OF THE FUTURE.

North Otago Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8168, 24 April 1895, Page 3

THE WAR OF THE FUTURE.

In the first place human nature is ever the same, and the extent to which it can be modified, strengthened, and, in a word, improved for military purposes, is comparatively small. In the second place, both the opponents will possess practically equally efficient means of dealing forth death and wounds. In the third place, the figures of the range cannot be applied to the statistics of the battlefield without great deductions. One or both of the contracting armies would enter into action after a preliminary march in heavy order. The nerves and judgments of the combatants would be disturbed by the constant rain of bullets and the crash of bursting shells. The delicate operation of fixing the time fuzes would bo hindered by shaking hands and beating hearts. In short, the difference between firing at an enemy who does not reply and one who does, between firing at a silent foe and one who is firing at you would be very semiWy felt. . . . Though all statistics lead one to believe that the percentage of killed and wounded in an army will rather diminish than increase in the battle of the future, still there is no doubt that certain battalions, brigadoa, divisions, and army corps will in some cases be nearly annihilated. There is no absolute rule of combining the offencive with the defensive, and . . circumstances must dictate to a commander whether he shall assume the passive-defensive, the defensiveoffensive, or the purely offensive. Those, therefore, who so loudly extol the activeoffensive fail to see that the attitude of a commander must depend upon cireum. stances which the greatest ability cannot always control. .Subject to strategical considerations and the direction of the enemy's advance, they can choose and strengthen a strong pouition . . . can . . , . destroy cover for the enemy in his advance, and keep the assailants stationary under fire by wire entanglements, pickets, inundations, and other obstacles not easily destroyed by the attackers' distant artillery fire The defender can ascertain the ranges from all parti of tht position to spots likbly

to bo occapied or advanced over by tho enemy, and especially to all piobablo arfcillory positions. Finally, tho defender can, fioin tho nature of things, make better nrrangements for tlio supply of ammunition. — Edinburgh Review.