Show WOUNDING IN WAR INVENTIVE genuia genius has been turned in a large ae degree gree in this age of remarkable discoveries toward projects for the destruction of human life weapons that will kill at long range or that will slaughter abi largest number at one discharge or that will make death certain to the wounded by internal explosion or other shocking methods have been in great demand to say nothing of compounds for far tho the demolition of forte fleets apo and military buildings this is a prostitution of the talent for uncovering and utilizing the forces of nature with which the great creator has endowed men for purposes of benefit to the human family every gift and all igat come from him but tho the disposition thereof to is within the power of the ibe recipient to be used for good or evil and bring reward or punishment recently however the te idea has begun to obtain that even in war it is better perhaps not to kill men in a battle a fatal shot is a loss only of the man slain he is left on the field as useless A wounded man is cared for by comrades he thus becomes the merv means of taking one or ar more other men from active service while being removed for surgical treatment to wound so as to disable instead of to kill outright seems the more effective mode of warfare for this reason magazine rifles now being made in europe are of smaller calibre tham heretofore the average guage being but three tenths of an inch whereas the former guage was half an inch there are advantages growing out of this change chanat other than the effect upon human life A soldier can carry more rounds of ammunition because of the smaller bore and also a lighter weapon besides this troops will no doubt go into action with greater confidence if the movement becomes gene general raj as the danger of death is certainly more depressing than the chance of being wounded only and the average soldier would prefer being hurt several times to being killed once it will be a gladday glad day for humanity when war shallie shall be abolished as barbarism and peace shall spread her wings over the whole globe but before beffre that day shall dawn nation will rise against nation and bloodshed will soak the earth with a flood yet the predictions of the prophets will be fulfilled and the tee sword and the rifle ride the spew spear and the cannon win will be turned lato into of agriculture and the nations will study warno war no more even now with the spread of intelligence it seems me as though christian nations at least leaa should cease to shed blood and establish enlightened arbitration in the place of savage slaughter |