war and the future-第20章
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This is a thing that I want to state as emphatically as possible。
It is the pith of the lesson I have learnt at the front。 The
whole method of war has been so altered in the past five and
twenty years as to make it a new and different process
altogether。 Much the larger part of this alteration has only
become effective in the last two years。 Everyone is a beginner
at this new game； everyone is experimenting and learning。
The idea has been put admirably by /Punch。/ That excellent
picture of the old…fashioned sergeant who complains to his
officer of the new recruit； 〃'E's all right in the trenches； Sir；
'e's all right at a scrap； but 'e won't never make a soldier；〃 is
the quintessence of everything I am saying here。 And were there
not the very gravest doubts about General Smuts in British
military circles because he had 〃had no military training〃？ A
Canadian expressed the new view very neatly on being asked； in
consequence of a deficient salute； whether he wanted to be a
soldier； by saying； 〃Not I！ I want to be a fighter！〃
The professional officer of the old dispensation was a man
specialised in relation to one of the established 〃arms。〃 He was
an infantryman； a cavalryman； a gunner or an engineer。 It will
be interesting to trace the changes that have happened to all
these arms。
Before this war began speculative writers had argued that
infantry drill in close formation had now no fighting value
whatever； that it was no doubt extremely necessary for the
handling； packing； forwarding and distribution of men； but that
the ideal infantry fighter was now a highly individualised and
self…reliant man put into a pit with a machine gun； and supported
by a string of other men bringing him up supplies and ready to
assist him in any forward rush that might be necessary。
The opening phases of the war seemed to contradict this。 It did
not at first suit the German game to fight on this most modern
theory； and isolated individual action is uncongenial to the
ordinary German temperament and opposed to the organised social
tendencies of German life。 To this day the Germans attack only
in close order； they are unable to produce a real modern infantry
for aggressive purposes； and it is a matter of astonishment to
military minds on the English side that our hastily trained new
armies should turn out to be just as good at the new fighting as
the most 〃seasoned troops。〃 But there is no reason whatever why
they should not be。 〃Leading；〃 in the sense of going ahead of
the men and making them move about mechanically at the word of
command； has ceased。 On the British side our magnificent new
subalterns and our equally magnificent new non…commissioned
officers play the part of captains of football teams； they talk
their men individually into an understanding of the job before
them； they criticise style and performance。 On the French side
things have gone even farther。 Every man in certain attacks has
been given a large scale map of the ground over which he has to
go； and has had his own individual job clearly marked and
explained to him。 All the Allied infantrymen tend to become
specialised； as bombers； as machine…gun men； and so on。 The
unspecialised common soldier； the infantryman who has stood and
marched and moved in ranks and ranks； the 〃serried lines of men；〃
who are the main substance of every battle story for the last
three thousand years； are as obsolete as the dodo。 The rifle and
bayonet very probably are becoming obsolete too。 Knives and
clubs and revolvers serve better in the trenches。 The krees and
the Roman sword would be as useful。 The fine flourish of the
bayonet is only possible in the rare infrequent open。 Even the
Zulu assegai would serve as well。
The two operations of the infantry attack now are the rush and
the 〃scrap。〃 These come after the artillery preparation。 Against
the rush； the machine gun is pitted。 The machine gun becomes
lighter and more and more controllable by one man； as it does so
the days of the rifle draw to a close。 Against the machine gun
we are now directing the 〃Tank；〃 which goes ahead and puts out
the machine gun as soon as it begins to sting the infantry rush。
We are also using the swooping aeroplane with a machine gun。
Both these devices are of British origin； and they promise very
well。
After the rush and the scrap comes the organisation of the
captured trench。 〃Digging in〃 completes the cycle of modern
infantry fighting。 You may consider this the first or the last
phase of an infantry operation。 It is probably at present the
least worked…out part of the entire cycle。 Here lies the sole
German superiority； they bunch and crowd in the rush； they are
inferior at the scrap； but they do dig like moles。 The weakness
of the British is their failure to settle down。 they like the
rush and the scrap； they press on too far； they get outflanked
and lost 〃in the blue〃； they are not naturally clever at the
excavating part of the work； and they are not as yet well trained
in making dug…outs and shelter…pits rapidly and intelligently。
they display most of the faults that were supposed to be most
distinctively French before this war came to revolutionise all
our conceptions of French character。
2
Now the operations of this modern infantry； which unlike any
preceding infantry in the history of war does not fight in
disciplined formations but as highly individualised specialists；
are determined almost completely by the artillery preparation。
Artillery is now the most essential instrument of war。 You may
still get along with rather bad infantry； you may still hold out
even after the loss of the aerial ascendancy； but so soon as your
guns fail you approach defeat。 The backbone process of the whole
art of war is the manufacture in overwhelming quantities； the
carriage and delivery of shell upon the vulnerable points of the
enemy's positions。 That is； so to speak； the essential blow。
Even the infantryman is now hardly more than the residuary
legatee after the guns have taken their toll。
I have now followed nearly every phase in the life history of a
shell from the moment when it is a segment of steel bar just cut
off； to the moment when it is no more than a few dispersed and
rusting rags and fragments of steelpressed upon the stray
visitor to the battlefield as souvenirs。 All good factories are
intensely interesting places to visit； but a good munition
factory is romantically satisfactory。 It is as nearly free from
the antagonism of employer and employed as any factory can be。
The busy sheds I visited near Paris struck me as being the most
living and active things in the entire war machine。 Everywhere
else I saw fitful activity； or men waiting。 I have seen more men
sitting about and standing about； more bored inactivity； during
my tour than I have ever seen before in my life。 Even the front
line trenches seem to slumber； the Angel of Death drowses over
them； and moves in his sleep to crush out men's lives。 The
gunfire has an indolent intermittence。 But the munition
factories grind on night and day； grinding against the factories
in Central Europe； grinding out the slow and costly and necessary
victory that should end aggressive warfare in the world for ever。
It would be very interesting if one could arrange a meeting
between any typical Allied munition maker on the one hand； and
the Kaiser and Hindenburg； those two dominant effigies of the
German nationalists' dream of 〃world might。〃 Or failing that； Mr。
Dyson might draw the encounter。 You imagine these two heroic
figures got up for the interview； very magnificent in shining
helms and flowing cloaks； decorations； splendid swords； spurs。
〃Here；〃 one would say； 〃is the power that has held you。 You were
bolstered up very loyally by the Krupp firm and so forth； you
piled up shell； guns； war material； you hoped to snatch your
victory before the industrialisation and invention of the world
could turn upon you。 But you failed。 You were not rapid enough。
The battle of the Marne was your misfortune。 And Ypres。 You
lost some chances at Ypres。 Two can play at destructive
industrialism； and now we o
