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Show J - -SMOKELESS POWDER.. General Clement's article on,lSmoke-less on,lSmoke-less Powder," in the Journal dts Sciences Sci-ences Militaries, deals with the role of artillery, and with the influence of political po-litical action in the preparation tor war. Unless the political action is continuous, it becomes extremely difficult dif-ficult to ensure unity of purpose, cither in the objects to be attained or in the preparation and employment of the full resources of the country for war. This difficulty becomes all the greater when the naval and military forces are under separate Ministers. "When the system of government is autocratic, and the Chief of the State is also supreme chief of the land and sea forces, continuity of purpose pur-pose and action can be easily main- tained; but in Democratic countries it can only be approximately attained by appointing a Minister of National De- - fence, or a Committee of Preparation for War, or perhaps, in France, by conferring on the Chief of the State less passive functions, and making Jiim the real Chief of the Arm'. In the "Great Questions of the Day,'1 in the same payer. Major Xigote pictures pic-tures the battles of the future with smokeless powder as invisible, where the object of each party will be to see (without being seen. The introduction of smokeless powder will greatly facilitate facili-tate ampuscades and materially hamper ham-per minor tactical operations. Gn the battle-field the army which first takes rxisitJci.tjy ,hw tfeA-a sjjfc its . '.mmmfJ ruense moral superiority over its ad-j, ad-j, versa ry, whose movements will be em-f em-f barrased by a fire the origin of which t he is unable to discover. The attack of a position in the field will somewhat 'A resemble the attack of a fortress; for, f H.s soon as the zone is reached which is swept by the infantry fire of the de- fence, advance in the open except under peculiarly favorably conditions L will be impossible. When this dan gerous zone is once reached, the at-ri at-ri tacking troops must when not favored , "... ""Ai.v the information of the ground re-yt re-yt to intrenchments, in order to jfz up under cover to a position -"". whence the final asault can be de- NTivered, which will most propably be . " ritlier at daybreak or nightfall. Their v operations will require time, so that a first-class battle w ill probably be an affair of days. Altogether, Major Xigote seems to be of opinion that the introduction of smokless powder will prove to ba the revenge of the defensive defen-sive over the offensive, and that the infantry soldier will have not only to be a good shot, but a good navvy to boot. |