WAR! ATTACK-DEFENCE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 502, 8 May 1909, Page 10

WAR! ATTACK-DEFENCE.

Sir, —Tho moro complex tho subject the noro ready aro tho talkers in tho community, to Express unqualified Opinions. Tho dofonco of tho Dominion bos boon, on trial at the bar of putllio opinion, l on tho. platform, and in tho .columns of tho newspapers, but of .those qualified, to speak, hour havo spoken) while of thoso who . have, motely tasted at tho rierian 1 Spring liow many lmyo ■•Tat onco aifed their littlo kttowledgo and displiyed their oxoeedlhgtiescienco? > ■ While ? talking) or writing, gliblv of doionce,' tho' oritic usually discusses tho condirequired attidk abroad: his real Bubjeotmattor'being a force in position with ■its- domestic carts atulntafketa at its back, ho quotes' thO txpOrien4o l of generals who had • to commahd troops moving in a foreigh country,' and bewails tho lack of provision for ■transport and oomtnlssariat: forgetting that every 'surgeon in - tho. community is available when called upon, ho insists on tho formation '/of ;&'tidmpl&to medical cotiiS: ignoring tho hospital accommodation already. at hand and the jnttumorable .buildings ready for use on an emergency. ho requires a canvas equipment of field hospitals, base : hospitals. Operating tertts. oto. , . Imbued with the levelling spirit of the democracy, tho cl'ltle bfUslles ftslde, with a : fovV cohtoMpluoM Words about militarism, tile fact that ovoty wililaty: organisation, to be successful must be controlled by an individual having thO' poWor, almost of. a despot.- In • th©■ demooi'.icy tho democrat. says that, lie must bo ruled only by : tlio majority of the mobile vulglls (called , mob for shorty but 111 any military system tho "mob must of iiecessity be obedient to tho will of an autoorat, Tho detaOcfat dOeS riot admit tho right te placo of an- aristocrat,; and refuses >toj admit an ftristocfacy to any J>art in tho .dofehco ' forces:- ho,quotes the: DoerS .aa an example of .hdw much can bo dono by a purolv democrats army;. 1 ' • Alas for tho: democrat 1 If •he : ■ would Only 1 remove .his self-imposed rose- ■ coloured spectacles ho Vrould gee ih.tho. his- - tory Of thb Boer War, and in tho history of . the Spanish-American. i\V»r, ihoV jlittlo tk Boers did ifoally accomplish, and how much ■■ they might have dono had tlioy. been dlsoip- ' lintd latidcommanded by a scientific auto- - crat, and ho would see how much the demO-crafleally-eontroiled; army And /navy of .the United' States cost' tho county, and now V 'really ;ine(f -WJtheitr successes . 'having been brought abbut not by'their, superiority as tafttioiaiis, but by the uttorly deficient equipment of tho Spaniards. ; The ttofo 'tlio' seieneo'of.war.is studied the m'oto aWpaffiht' iti these ..Says of lohg 'SingSV.tt.eapAns';and' smokeless ■ .port'dor, it is.impossible for..aWman to jump ont of the ranks and successfully "assume the post, of tho - generalin command: : Direct • verbal orders such. as."Up, Guards, ahd; at / them aro rtOWadayfi i: physical impossibility, might,'; well'boTa/distancO'Of • fifty mitea Or moro between _■ the = Duko. and ::- : fthO'Guarda.',at:tho;Ctitieal-potiod;Of;thO:nght* i; Tho/threO' nr/ny ii;o: ; .'/. (l) A Mmmandor with, ability to command. : (2)-/An organisation fot' the pfompt_and ncaito'"'itaudn4w6'itiiiiilot .'-'of ddtfc? 1 ' aiia T.iilFbtiAfr- ££ tion, and tho putting of orders into'' execution, and ;.(8) Discipline,. which moans tho prompt and : ready-, obedience, ; t<}: a command.,. l *, •V.-tfh-fe ; V fireb Jil-da -laft : e£tenjSljo}{edUfcdtiqn mid a i personality (real or artificial) "capable Sjf'oblmjjreSta ; , orders, and tho thitdjvsuch .Absolute respeOt for. the porson who ogives ai oidef - that the •. '• order, is obeyed:without'cavil.-,-'... , • 1 : -i Bcom to bo that T 'no sysfcem of ;defeiice/:baSed ; !on * non-political iV?esigonbies^any, ; other;Byßtem.?being-TO of officers tebo. aro as a '''.. class .'SOoially).' educationally,' '.and .otherwise ■ * superior to and filo,' and a:;raiik-.atid filo.,,ta\lght .tosdp . what; they are„to!d. \ahd : ' who have ■ not bceh reared - in l : tho, belief of ■■■:■:■■■■■" thati-misbeglottejii Old; saying, as ai good ad hid master."—l am, oto , - . , B. B. May 6. , j