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ves equal to anything we had in the war, but they did not in any
case act, as a body, in the capacity suggested bij their titles.
We are told in our drill books that the scouts are the eyes
and ears of an army. Therefore it must be plain, even to the
altogether uninitiated, that men expected to represent such higly
important and sensitive organs require to be specially trained
for their work. It was, in fact, directly owing to faulty scou
ring on the part of our mounted men that most of those „re
grettable incidents" have occurred, not only in the late war,
but in all the wars with Savage and semi-savage people that
we have taken part in; and such incidents have gone a long
way towards protracting hostilities. The value of the scout
is, however, not restricted to such wars, and his importance
in European warfare must surely increase in proportion to the-
development of modern weapons, and the growing importance
of natural cover.
Somehow or other, the idea prevails among the Cavalry and,
the Mounted Infantry that every man in those branches can,
with a little training, be taught all that is needed in scouting.
It seems to be forgotten that the daily routine of barrack life,,
the drill and discipline of the service, whilst being indisputable
factors in the making of a good fighting man, militate against
a man becoming a scout in the proper sense of the word. This,
will, I am sure, be at once admitted by those who admire the
devil-may-care manner in which the officers and men of the
British Cavalry and Mounted Infantry carried out their scou
ting. Told off in most cases by roll for one day's scouting,,
they would perhaps have seceral days with the baggage or
marching at ease with the column. The day 's scouting was
carried out according to orders, a point had to be made, if the
enemy was in the way, „We will bump up against him, and.
the weaker will give way".
Recent Military Works.
Published by W. M. Clowes Sons, Ltd.
By Major-General Sir Reginald C. Hart, Y. C., K. C. B., C. Y. 0.
Reflections on the art of ivar. With a Chapter on Mountain.
Warfare. Third Edition. 7s. 6d.
