THE CYCLE AS AN AUXILIARY TO MODERN WARFARE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 209, 3 September 1900, Page 4

THE CYCLE AS AN AUXILIARY TO MODERN WARFARE.

Baden-Powell is reported to have said that warfare in tlie future is going to be revolt] lionised by the employment of airships. Doubtless ihe gallant colonel knows what he is talking about; but before airships can be of much utility in any direction, a way nKnst lie found for them to ascend from any place, and to descend at any point; which at present simply can't be done. In the meantime military men may well turn their attention to the employment of a machine that bids fair lo become a recognised part of an individual's equipment. By the invention and development of the bicycle man has been rescued from tlie anomalous position of being the most intelligent beii.n' in the animal kingdom while ranking amongst the slowest in locomotion. Through its agency man may now swiftly, and with comparative ease, pass from place to place, and is thereby Hie richer iv time, in efficiency and'in enjoyment. The bicycle has come to stay; it has passed beyond the stage of experiment, and has entered the domain of practical life. For a lime it was regarded as a toy, but now tbe artisan may be seen in company- with his professional brother wheeling along to_ work or business, or bent on the ordinary avocations of life. In some of the Australian colonies they are largely iv use for the delivery of telegrams; while shearers in the' back-blocks find them more reliable and less expensive than the horse. Some few years ago it was considered a wonderful feat to negotiate a journey from Sydney to Melbourne, or Melbourne to Adelaide; but now we are becoming accustomed to all-round-the-world cyclists. Among the tii-fit to enter Pretoria after the occupation of that city by the British was a man inpunted on a bicycle. By means of the bicycle hundreds of young men are enabled to spend a great deal of time in the country, breathing fresh air, and becoming familiar with beauty spots in Nature that otherwise would be amongst the impossibilities for them. It is jut-resting to note that amongst others who have become interested in tho possibilities of the cycle is Major-General Sir F. Maurice, commanding at Woolwich. He has observed that the cyclists in his neighbourhood have been enabled to overcome the di%ulty of inaccessibility of ranges. They leave their work, cycle to Bisley and then return. Thus fhe cyclist clubs are becoming largely rifle club*, also. By what the general has seen in progress on a small" scale has led him to propound a scheme for utilising bicycle clubs on a large scale for defence purposes. In general terms the matter is thus set forth by Sir F. Maurice: —"The estimates formed at headquarters of the great cyclist organisations of the country gives about one million as the number of male cyclists in this island. If out of this number we could induce even a moderate proportion to enrol themselves as riflemen I believe it would do more than anything else to gain the time we, should require in order to defeat any invasion or raid made by an enemy. The distance from the coast to London is 'very short. An enemy who meant to do any serious mischief would come with the intention of striking for London in the shortest possible time. I believe, that from the very lar^e number of roads available for cycliste, and from the fact that an enemy would be restricted to roads for movements, a check could be more rapidly placed on his advance by a proper use of cyclists than by any other means." Coming from .such an authority the comment is not without its value, and the suggestion is well worthy of being ventilated by cyclists in New Zealand as well as England. It is true that we have not the roads for cycling purposes that are to be found in the Mother Country, but every year brings greater advance in this direction.

The local cyclists are already in agitation for cycle paths; and once shown the utility of the cycle in the way indicated, and doubtless legislation and better organisation would follow to secure . better tracks throughout the colony. It has been said by an Australian newspaper, that Mr Seddon is about the only one of all the Colonial Premiers who has proved

consistent to the promise of support made to the Imperial Government; he alone proposing to make provision for the greater efficiency of the Defence Force. If the thousands'of men who now belong to cycle clubs would combine their wheeling with rifle shooting, and military manoeuvres, an auxiliary to the regular volunteer forces could be supplied that would be resourceful and valuable. Major-General Sir I\ Maurice suggested that an experiment should be made in the district around Brighton in England. This district contains 44 roads, upon which he thinks "that 100,000 armed cyclists could be employed without confusion. Assuming the advance to be made on two roads —those from Brighton and Shoreham—twenty-four of these would run to the front of the enemy. On each of them 2,000 would be employed, in six watches, so that there would always be 300 fresh men at the front, connected by cyclist scouts with those on whom they would rely for support's, relief, and ammunition."

Untler proper management there are districts in Auckland that would provide, admirable scope for a similar manoeuvre on the part of our local cyclists. The essentials are that the roads should be fairly good, and moderately numerous, sufficiently so for the number of cyclists that could be got together. Such a movement once

started would be undoubtedly popular, for it presents an opportunity for a , combination of training* such as can be had in no other direction at the same expense. Cavalry regiments will always be difficult to form,' and expensive to maintain. The item of expense alone will for ever be a barrier in the way of many athletic young men serving their country as cavalrymen; but in a corps of military cyclists that difficulty disappears; cycles are yearly becoming cheaper, and if manufactured in large numbers for military purposes the expense would not be comparable with the establishment and maintenance of a regiment, of y liorse. We entertain the hope that the 'extension''of consideration and recognition by the Government may lead to something- being done in the direction indicated. Why should not Auckland take the lead in showing to, the rest of Hie colony Ihe tremendous possibilities that lie in the organisation and training of cyclists as military re-

serves?