war and the future-第18节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


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　out…gun　you。　　We　are　piling　up
munitions　now　faster　than　you。　　The　essentials　of　this　Game　of
the　War　Lord　are　idiotically　simple；　but　it　was　not　of　our
choosing。　　It　is　now　merely　a　question　of　months　before　you　make
your　inevitable　admission。　　This　is　no　war　to　any　great
commander's　glory。　　This　gentleman　in　the　bowler　hat　is　the
victor；　Sire；　not　you。　　Assisted；　Sire；　by　these　disrespectful…
looking　factory　girls　in　overalls。〃

For　example；　there　is　M。　Citroen。　　Before　the　war　I　understand　he
made　automobiles；　after　the　war　he　wants　to　turn　to　and　make
automobiles　again。　　For　the　duration　of　the　war　he　makes　shell。
He　has　been　temporarily　diverted　from　constructive　to　destructive
industrialism。　　He　did　me　the　honours　of　his　factory。　　He　is　a
compact；　active　man　in　dark　clothes　and　a　bowler　hat；　with　a
pencil　and　notebook　conveniently　at　hand。　　He　talked　to　me　in
carefully　easy　French；　and　watched　my　face　with　an　intelligent
eye　through　his　pince…nez　for　the　signs　of　comprehension。　　Then
he　went　on　to　the　next　point。

He　took　me　through　every　stage　of　his　process。　　In　his　office　he
showed　me　the　general　story。　　Here　were　photographs　of　certain
vacant　fields　and　old　sheds〃this　place〃he　indicated　the
altered　prospect　from　the　window〃at　the　outbreak　of　the　war。〃
He　showed　me　a　plan　of　the　first　undertaking。　　〃Now　we　have
rather　over　nine　thousand　workpeople。〃

He　showed　me　a　little　row　of　specimens。　　〃These　we　make　for
Italy。　　These　go　to　Russia。　　These　are　the　Rumanian　pattern。〃

Thence　to　the　first　stage；　the　chopping　up　of　the　iron　bars；　the
furnace；　the　punching　out　of　the　first　shape　of　the　shell；　all
this　is　men's　work。　　I　had　seen　this　sort　of　thing　before　in
peace　ironworks；　but　I　saw　it　again　with　the　same　astonishment；
the　absolute　precision　of　movement　on　the　part　of　the　half…naked
sweating　men；　the　calculated　efficiency　of　each　worker；　the
apparent　heedlessness；　the　real　certitude；　with　which　the　blazing
hot　cylinder　is　put　here；　dropped　there；　rolls　to