British Military Manoeuvres.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XL, Issue 7713, 5 December 1903, Page 7

British Military Manoeuvres.

Captain , Bently ■ Mott, military attache of the United States Embassy at Paris, makes the following comments on the British military manoeuvres, which ho was sent specially to report on to his Government :— "* The manoeuvres were especially interesting to us, for we have the same inherited, ideas, ways of thougkt, and method of -doing things as the English. Moreover, our country is oft. exactly the same character as England for operations, particularly of cavalry and artillery. Here there are few. places outside the doivns where they could use1, cavalry, which, consequen.'ly, is obliged to confine itself to the rda'ds, as at home. Of course, most of Europe has adopted cavalry ideas;from us, and England especially uses 'our methods, applying them here more closely than one, sees on tlie Continent. The regiments which participated lin the manoeuvres were largely made up of,men who bad seen war,' They were like blunting dogs which had been shot over. The English manoeuvres are an application, on a liirgei- scale-than'we have had'at home-,'-of- methods of attack which

I our officers believe' in/ md which, on a small .scale, have been- followed for many years. ' It" is interest- : ing to see that the ..results' of the ' war in South Africa have led to exactly the same methods as we employed .in the Indian^ canipaigns —that is,; long lines' of: skirmishers, one after another, instead.of packed ?., masses^.' The:: English strikes me as 'being youngl' ■ but "he ' : .seems ''to 'marohvweH'. ' Th'e:non;cpmniissioned officers are a kpleii'dia ■ body, who ■ supervise carefuiiy; r'the i work of-the moh1 under theiiiV*' Their | 'fei-tillery : is; not- so mtbrest'iiig/r'for' :the: reason that: it! is' not 'as up-to-; date as the .Frenoh artillery. i; < *;;: ;