A NEW AND DEADLY BULLET.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 764, 12 March 1910, Page 13

A NEW AND DEADLY BULLET.

r ■ : - ADOPTED ON THE CONTINENT. An -expert writes that at' the present time one of the greatest dangers for the British Army lies in the inferiority of' the Lee-Enfield bullet as compared withthe "S," adopted by the French in 19H and by the Germany in 1905. ; Not only is the' trajectory of the "S" bullet much flatter than-that of any other, thus extending the point-blank range of the rifle, but it-has also "stopping" powers as great as, if not greater' than, those of the Dum-dum, which on. the score of humanity Britain has undertaken not to • use against civilised - enemies. j.-...

•'•jFor some_reason which only scientists* Could explain,' the "S" bullet. wliile-'re-volving'- in. the usual way on. its- aids, and . m aintaining the proper direction of its: flight, nevertheless wriggles as it ; flies, so that itspointed nose keeps turning slightly to the right and left, and upwards and -downwards, with the result that on striking', its mark it ' tilts . over and penetrates flatwise instead of point foremost The wounds caused ,by ' this intentionally erratic impact . are : terrible. According to a Japanese military surgeon, who leotured not long ago upon the subject, the percentages of, deaths will be very. largely increased : owing-to th? shooting nature of the injuries inflicted. ■ ".- There are several officers. and men now' living who ihave been shot through , the lungs with Martini or other bullets ' of comparatively large calibre, and- a great many who' recovered from such wounds inflicted by Mausers. But that could , not take place in case of lung penetration with any bullet having the expanding properties of a Dum-Dum. Yet even the Dum-Dum itself is regarded aacomparatively harmless beside the ; terrible "S." It does not demand much knowledge, or . even imagination, to realise the obvious effects of a bullet which; strikes longitudinally in place of point-:-foremost. l*Jot only must the size, of the. wound, itself .be greatly increased, • but the course of the bullet, internally, must be erratic, instead of penetrating' fairly straight,, through and through. :' The writer goes on to say that, either , Britain - must seek to have the "S" bullet added to the number of death-deal-ing instruments forbidden by the Geneva Convention or else must adopt the same bullet, in order that hor troops may be enabled to retaliate, in kind against thi V armament of adversaries. .. ■