BICYCLE IN WAR.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 126, 30 January 1915, Page 2

BICYCLE IN WAR.

One of the features of the war has been the manner in which the nations at war, the Germans particularly, have utilized the bicycle and it is peculiarly significant that the German cyclists wuv- the first to enter Brussels, Antwerp, etc., and that most of the daring raids have been made by Belgian and German cyclists. At the cutset it is estimated that Germany had 120,000 cyclists, and these have been of incalculable service. Motor bicycles are, of course, faster, but for scouting purposes they 'give themselves away' by reason of their ncise. Moreover they are naturally not so reliable as the bicycle. Each has proved its value, but the bicycle is of immense utiiil*.y f its practically e\\ery soldier nowadays rides a bicycle and for night scouting they are silent as the grave and extremely mobile, for the rider can lift them over hedges, and carry them across ploughed fields, trenches, etc., easily and quickly. Many of the Germ'an officers have their own bicycles with them, and they take a hand in night scouting to observe for themselves. Russia has already purchased 10,000 bicycles from British makers, and has further large batches on order, and Belgium has some 5000 cyclist scouts. The French and English authorities are also extensively using the cyclist soldiers and find them invaluable in many ways,