THE ARMY OFFICER AND HIS WEAPONS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8090, 7 January 1903, Page 1

THE ARMY OFFICER AND HIS WEAPONS.

The first few actions fought in South -Africa, (says the Indian Daily New:;) were quite sufficient to demonstrate the vital necessity of taking all possible measures to protect the.British officers engaged in the campaign from undue losses in battle. Sir Redvers Buller quickly recognised that something must be done, and he in'conlingly directed that all officers should at one" remove their distinctive badges, Ih<;iiswords, aiid everything calculated to discriminate an officer from the rank and file.

The argument is sonfetiiues advance.) that. it is a somewhat dangerous tiling I" diw. officers and ■men ho much alike, I hat it i'. difficult to distinguish them, and there i-. certainly considerable force in this contention, as anyone will admit who has In'! to handle a, strange unit, and ha., thus experienced the'difficulty of getting hold of the company officers when In; wonts them to ca.rry out some change of formation or some fresh advance. In the noil it'.elf I his difficulty does not occur to tin: sane- extent, for the officers and men mutually I,now < ,i< li other, and the officer is recognised as much by the tone of his voice as hy his personal appearance.

The sword, moreovi r, by no i<> mends itself to the average I'rit-i.' '■■ ■ •■ r a reliable weapon, either for de offence: for it must he admitted that, we are certainly not a nation of sword.,men, and in spile of regulation sword e\e|-cF:';e and generals' very I'-w nllic.-rs have the hast idea of using t'le-ir weapon with effect, either in I heir own defence or in disposing of an opponent. Moreover, the sword is a niosl awkward and inconvenient weapon to carry, either on hill warfare or in jnneje lighting. In South Africa officer, generally carried rill-, or carbines, and it is believed thai Ihe latter weapon is likely to l.e adopted a-- the weapon for ..Hirer., in (hi-, conntrv. as soon as a. supply of the improved carlo.i.■ is available. T' : -..■ bine undoubtedly is a more suitable -• ~ i oilier, to carry ilnn .... rille, ; ' i !.-'■ bchter and moiv h.uidv to niauip -.mi.-. at the s; time, the'differenc- hj; spi ■ . mice is not sufficient t<i mark out an oiiirn- at a distance of over JOO yards or so I to nieii unprovided with glasses.