I HOME-READING COURSE FOR i
j CITIZEN-SOLDIERS j
1 (Issued by the War Department and all rights to reprint reserved.)
; Thin course of thirty lessons is offered to the men selected tor j
service in the National Army as a practical help in getting started
• in the right way. It is informal in tone and does not attempt to gi>e ^
I binding rules and directions. These are contained in the various J
{ manuals and regulations of the I nited States Army, to which this j
J Course is merely introductory. I
LESSON NO. 29
WARFARE IN El’ROPE
In previous sections o? this t ourse
army life and service have been de
scribed without special reference '^o
the changes brought about b\ the
present war.
changes, and methods of training and
of fighting used in previous wars,
The extent of these changes, how
ever, is often exaggerated. At bottom
the qualities that make a good soldier
or an efficient army remain the same
The changes that affect the individual
ons.
Rut behind every weapon there is a
man. If the weapon is to be used
effectively, the man must be well
trained, disciplined, cool, and brave.
He must have spirit, tenacity, and
self-reliance. The big problem now,
velop these qualities—ami the other
soldierly qualities—to their highest
extent. The chiet didefence probably
vious wars. And in American armies
this quality has always been high y
valued and well developed.
This brief lesson can not. oi course,
enter into a discussion of technical
questions which belong in the held of
military science. It will simply point
out a few of the striking features of
direct interest to every man who
reaches the front.
Character of Present War
This war differs from previous wars
chiefly in the enormous increase in
the use of artillery. This
ly to the immense manufacturing re
sources of the countries at war, which
i enables them to produce great num
bers of guns and great quantities of
ammunition. It is due also to the new
methods of directing gun fire from
It is evident that a gun
can not be accurately aimed at an ob
ject the exact location or which is un
known. The airplane, however, is able
formation, so that the artillery may
now be used with much greater effect.
The size of the guns and the force
of the explosive shells tired trom them
have also been largely increased.
Partly as a result of these improve
ments in artillery, it has been neces
sary to develop better methods of pro
tection. The protection of troops con
sists of digging stronger field en
trenchments than have been necessary
in previous wars. Here we have the
warfare,” which during the last three
years has largely taken the place of
former methods ot moving armies'
about freely until they came into con
flict witli each other. Digging the
trenches and throwing up breastworks
for protection against the enemy’s lire
is, of course, not a new thing in war
fare. It is being done in Kurope, how
ever, on a much bigger scale than
ever befo#\ A complicated network
of trenches now protects the men on
The spade has become
one of the soldier's best weapons of
In seeking protection against heavy
artillery fire a very interesting devel
opment has taken place. I bis is the
u>e of various devices for concealing
field guns and troops from the view
of enemy airplanes. Sometimes trees
are brought up and planted near the;
object to be hidden. Sometimes the
gun or other object has an awning
spread over it which is painted to look
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2
SOME men change their
I tobacco brands as regular
as a woman changes her mind.
An’ others smoke VELVET.
from above like grass or earth. For
the same reason tents may be painted
in greens and yellows.
The chief improvement in methods
of defending entrenched troops is the
increased use of machine guns. Ma
chine guns must be put out of oper
ation by artillery fire or by rifle fire
directed against the gunners before
infantry can advance directly against
them. There has been also a great
increase during the present war in the
use of barbed wire in front of the
trenches as a means of defense. Simi
lar devices have been used in en
trenched positions for many years,
but never on so large a scale. Thru
their use it is now known to he pos
sible to defend the front line posi
tions with smaller bodies of men than
were considered necessary during the
earlier years, of the war, thus consid
erably reducing the strain of the in
dividual soldier.
Development of Airplanes
The chief new instrument of war
fare developed during the present war
is the airplane. As previously ex
plained, it is used for scouting, direct
ing gunfire, and dropping bombs. The
scouting machine is usually equipped
with a large camera which takes a:
series of pictures. When these pic
tures are developed and compared day
by day they give invaluable informa
tion as to the exact location ot troops,
guns, and supplies. The scouting and
bombing machines are usually pi*o-(
tected by swift fighting machines. Air
planes have also been list'd at times
to descend close to the ground and fire
from a machine gun upon bodies of
troops.
Another very interesting and prom
ising device is the “tank”—a heavily
armored machine so constructed that
it can advance under its own power
over almost any obstacles, and thus
lead an attack on enemy trenches. It!
is armed with machine guns. Armor-:
cd motor cars have also been used
effectively under some conditions.
In the front line trenches men are
often armed not only with rifle ami
bayonet, but also with bombs which
can be thrown by hand or by machine.
Some of them are no larger than an
ordinary lemon. Many men become
extraordinarily expert in throwing
these small bombs into enemy
trenches. They even become expert!
in picking up enemy bombs before
they explode and throwing them back.
Another weapon of the trenches in
troduced by the Germans, in spite of
international agreements to the con
trary, is poisonous gas. This was at
first very effective, since no defense
against it had been prepared. At the
present time, however, each man in
or near the front carries a gas mask,
which enables him to meet an attack
of this kind without serious injury.
Wonderful Staff Organization
Back of the lines the organization
of the staff branches of the service
has been enormously extended. Rail
roads are constructed up to within a
short distance of the front. Trans
port of supplies and ammunition by
motor trucks has been organized on
a big scale. The medical departments
have also made notable gains in meth
ods of treating wounded men, with
result that a very large percent
age recover. Even in the early months
of the war it was announced that of
the wounded actually treated in
French hospitals, 54.5 per cent were
returned to duty within a short time;
24.5 per cent were sent home to com
plete their recovery and later return
ed to duty; 17 per cent at the time!
of making the report were still in hos
pitals, with the probability of complete
recovery; 1.5 per cent were unfit for
I further service; 2.5 per cent had died
from the effects of their wounds.
There is probably little basis for the
| idea that the number of casualties in
j this war is any greater, in proportion
to the number of men engaged, than
in previous wars. In the French army
during the last six months of 1916
(which included three big offensives)
the total losses in killed, wounded, and
prisoners are officially reported to
have been only 1.28 per cent of the
French forces under arms.
One of the striking features of the
war is the proof that has been given
of courage and devotion to duty on
the part of men of all nations. As
soldiers we must honor and strive to
SENATOR WANTS TO KNOW
WRY ALASKA’S COAL INDUSTRY
IS BEING STRANGLED
- %
Those who are closely following the
Alaska situation will be deeply inter
ested in a statement credited to Sen
ator McNary, of Oregon. This article
was originally published in The Ore
gonian of Portland, as a telegrom
from Washington, and is here repro
duced in full for two reasons. First,
it bears out what has been* said in
papers friendly to Alaska’s develop*
meat ever since the industry was
strangled in the territory. Secondly,
The Oregonian was never partial to
the Alaskan side of the controversy,
while it is equally true that Senator
McNary was in no way connected
with the former agitation. It all
comes at this late day as a complete
vindication of all that has been said
in defense of poor Alaska since the
Roosevelt order of withdrawal, but
after four summers' work and millions
expended in building the railroad, the
statement credited to Secretary Lane
that there is no possibility of getting
Alaskan coal out during the coming
fall or winter, is a somewhat start
ling one. The article, in lull, follows:
Although assured by Secretary Lane
that there is no possibility of getting
Alaskan coal into the Pacific coast
markets during the coming fall or
winter, Senator McNary, of Oregon,
is doing his utmost to bring about the
speedy development of coal in the Ma
tanuska field, so that when the Alas
kan harbors open up next summer the
Pacific coast ports, now suffering from
fuel shortage, may replenish their
supply.
When Senator McNary looked into
the Alaska coal situation he was as
tonished at some of the things he
found. He discovered that although j
congress, as far back as October 20,
1914, passed a law authorizing the
leasing of coal lands in Alaska, and
although the interior department, on
July 19, 1916, promulgated regula
tions for carrying that law into ef
fect, no leases have yet been made,
and if the government railroad should
be completed tomorrow there would be
no coal ready for shipment to Anchor
age, the present terminus of the gov- j
ernment railroad.
It has been known for some time
that the Alaska railroad would reach
the Matanuska coal fields during the
present fall; it has been known that
after the completion of this much of
the railroad the government would be!
ready to transport coal at a reason
able charge from Matanuska to An-1
chorage.
But there have been no leases, other
than one small one to produce coal
for the use of the Alaska railroad com
mission, and in that instance the les
see went into bankruptcy, and the
commission took over his mine, thus
bringing about the ludicrous situation
of a government agency developing
government coM land under a govern
ment lease and paying for the leasing
privilege.
When Senator McNary probed deep
er he found that there had been cap
italists interested in developing the
coal lands of the Matanuska field; ap
plications for leases or inquiries re
garding them had been made, but the
leases were never closed. Those who
were interested were scared otT, not
so much by the law as by the rigid
requirements and conditions of tlie
regulations promulgated by the inte
rior department. And when he pre
sented the matter to Secretary Lane,
Senator McNary was told that doubt
less the regulations should be modi
emulate the heroic bravery of those
who are fighting the battle for de
mocracy and freedom. As soldiers we
must recognize also the skill and cour
age of the enemy, even though they
are shown in a bad cause. Nothing is
gained by belittling the enemy. It is
our place rather to see to it that we
develop among ourselves a still higher
degree of the intelligence, spirit, te
nacity, and self-reliance which alone
can win victories.
-• * • * *•
fied, to make them more attractive to
capital.
Using the old regulations as a ba
sis Senator McNary, at Secretary
Lane’s invitation, has suggested a
number of changes which operate, ir»
the main to remove conditions which
stand in the way of development. As
the regulations stand, almost arbitrary
powers are reposed in government
agents in Alaska, and on their say-so
leases can be cancelled and lessees
can be forced to lose their investment.
Senator McNary has suggested that
these impracticable ami objectionable!
features be eliminated, and he has
been advised that if these conditions
are removed, coal leases will he made.
For instance, Senator McNary would
eliminate an irksome requirement;
that a lessee, before developing any
coal land, shall submit a plan and
specifications outlining the develop
ment he has in mind. He would elim
inate a requirement that no level in
a coal mire may be abandoned with
out the consent of a government
agent. U is now in the power of a
government agent arbitrarily to say
how far inside of the limits of his
claim a lessee must coniine his devel
opment, ami he is not allowed to work
closer to the boundaries than this
agent may dictate. As the regulations
stand, the lessee must get written
permission from a government agent
before he can remove more than a
stipulated quantity of coal from any
mine or level and the placing and re
moval of pillars is absolutely in the
control of the government agent.
Another section of the regulations
denies to a coal lessee the right to any
mineral substance other than coal that
he may find in the course of develop
ment. All such minerals, it is stipu
lated, become the property ot the gov
ernment. And this in face ot the tact
that no mineral lands in Alaska, other
than coal and oil are subject to lease.
The present regulations even pre
scribe the maximum number of men
the lessee may employ. And last of
all, the regulations prohibit the dis
posal of mine waste in such a way
that it shall be a “nuisance, incon
venience or obstruction of any means
of travel."
In this last regulation, Senator Mr
Nary suggested the necessity for
striking out the word “inconvenience,”
as it lies in the power of a govern
ment agent to say what is an incon
venience and that power could be read
ily abused. As to other requirements
enumerated, Senator McNary has
suggested that they be stricken out
entirely, as they serve no useful pur
pose; they make it possible for a gov
ernment agent, especially one imbued
with bureaucratic ideas, to harrass
any lessee, and virtually stop coal de
velopment. He has suggested that the
regulations be so modified as to in
vite investment of private capital,
while yet protecting all proper and
reasonable rights of the government.
With the Pacific coast in dire need
of fuel, with the government paying
$12 and $1" a ton for coal for ves
sels of the Pacific fleet and other gov
ernment ships on the Pacific coast and
unlimited coal in Alaska that can be
laid down at tidewater, according to
Secretary Lane’s estimates, for from
$8 to $4 a ton, Senator McNary sees
no reason why the problems- in hand
cannot be worked out speedily. It be
ing a physical impossibility to get out
the coal this winter, but it being cer
tain transportation will be available
in the spring, be wants to see the coal
lands developed in time to meet tin*
needs of the Pacific coast next season,
at the latest. If departmental regula
tions are all that stand in the way, he
thinks the remedy is plain and sim
ple. The matter now is in the hands
of the secretary of the interior. Lx.
Get your Steel ('able at Graefs. tf.
--—^
Ask your grocer j for Seward
Bakery Bread.
-*
Waste paper, suitable tor starting
I It. V. IIiwrn *• *■ !>*'»
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II. V. IJorn.N, M an' u;kk
Goal, Wood and Ice
Ci neral Transden-intr l‘hone*. Main IT and 41
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Headquarters for Mining Men
SEWARD, - - *- ALASKA
Ti PALACE SB"B*‘
Best Liquors and Cigars
■ ■
j Lunch Counter in Connection
C. M. PETriBONECa
Packers’ Direct Selling Agent
SALT SALMON, HERRING, COD
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If Service Count* Our Interest* are Mutual
OFFICES: L. C. SMITH BUILDING SEATTLE, U. S. A. '
The war in Europe has brought
forth changes and improvements, such
as those just described, to which theI
soldiers of the National Amy must
quickly adjust themselves; but it has
not changed ip the least the qualities j
of body, mind, and heart, which in the;
long run are always the greatest of I
all factors in warfare.
-n
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(Ex-President Michigan State Hoard
Dental Examiners)
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