Future Wars

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXIV, Issue 100, 27 August 1930, Page 8

Future Wars

WILL BE FOUGHT BY CIVILIANS. OPINION OF MILITARY EXPERT. “Future wars will be fought and decided by civilians not by soldiers. Present day armies will be superfluous —useless. ’ ’ That is the sensational prophecy of Lieut.-Colonel Mayer, one of France’s leading military experts, expressed in a forthcoming book, excerpts of which appear in the “Ncucs Wiener Journal. ’ ’ Chemistry and aircraft will fight future wars, and both these elements will be directed chiefly by civilian experts, not by soldiers, asserts the French military expert. Four thousand aircraft, high explosives and gas-bomb-ing planes will represent a greater offensive and destructive power than an army of a million soldiers, according to Lieut.-Colonel Mayer. Organic chemistry has produced more than five thousand different gases, with many new ones being discovered or invented every year, he says. , The world conflict swept away the alleged eternal truth and principles of classical strategy, and at the close of the war, convinced of this, and that Germany would not be able to attack for at least fifteen years, Lieut.-Colonel Mayer suggested that the French army be completely demobilised and disbanded for ten years. He was told that his suggestion could not be taken seriously. “Notwithstanding that it is clear that a handful of civilised experts can, with combined gas and air attacks destroy the largest and best trained army in the world.’’ In support of this theory, the French military expert cites Napoleon, who wrote during his last ydai - on St. Helena: “Every victory of my troops was the triumph of new ideas. The time will come when neither cannon nor bayonets will be necessary for I victory. ’ ’ He declares that H. G. Wells is right when he says that the wars of the future will be fought by civilians. War operations of to-morrow will be sudden surprise attacks, unexpected in time and places. They will demoralise and intimidate the dnemy. Forts, barracks and present day armies arc as ' irrevocably doomed to pass away as were the bow, arrow and spear at the ■first shot from a musket. It is quite natural that the heads of the armies to-day are interested in seeing that no radical change takes place in the present system and order of things, declares Lieut-Colonel Mayer, adding: “That Governments and General Staffs close their eyes to the truth does not alter the might and power of the facts.” Woods’ Great Peppermint Cure TJor •Tn flue nz** <■