599
„Two nations may announce the offensive, the objective and coope
ration as being the principles most important to ensure success of an
engagement, but their interpretation of these terms may be quite different".
Aan het slot van zijn belangwekkend opstel komt schrijver o. a- tot de
volgende slotsom
„Their leaders are skillful, tireless, calm, and daring. Personal ambition
seems lost in devotion to the general success;
Night movement and night combat are habitual;
There is a singular uniformity of manoeuver, and of reaction in case of
success or failure;
There is a tendency to complicated plans capable of disruption if opponents
combine energetic leadership with skillfull staff work;
There is great determination in adhering to a plan and thorough mutual
confidence among leaders;
They will not yield the initiative regardless of danger at critical points
Small reserves and early commitment of these is the rule;
They will risk anything, will drive their men to the limit and accept
any losses rather than yield a battlefield; but will take no chance of
forcing a counter-attack once the enemy definitely breaks off action
and retires
They are careful and analytical students of the doctrines, methods,
organization and equipment of others, but accept and use only those that
seem best fitted to their own problems."
Uit een in het tijdschritt opgenomen passage uit een Engelsch tijdschrift,
citeeren we de volgende blik uit Engelsche oogen op het Verdrag van
Washington.
„A British Viewpoint.
The United States gave up a great deal under the Washington treaty;
more, indeed, than perhaps she fully realized in the desire to carry the
conference to a successful issue. Her abrogation of the right to develop
Guam or the Philippines into modern naval bases meant incurring a serious
disability. These are two essential strategical points in any conflict in
the Pacific. Japan, on the other hand, gained all that she wanted and
probably rather more than she expected at the Washington conference.
Through sheer bland insistence she carried her point about being allowed
to retain the new 33,000 ton dreadnought Mitsu. She likewise brought
about the prohibition of any extension of Hong-Kong. The result is
that, unless and until the Singapore scheme materializes, no other power
but herself will have a first-class battleship base in the Pacific.
There are very good reasons, therefore, why ihe Washington conference
should not be regarded in the United States as an undisguised blessing."
Revue militaire franqaise. Mai 1925. Kolonel Normand beginteen studie
over „Fortications franqaises et allemandes" met het doel een vergelijkingte
maken tusschen het doel en de wijze van aanleg der vooroorlogsche perma
nente versterkingen in beide landen. Het artikel „A propos d'un jugement
allemand sur les conceptions militaires franqaises" van Kolonel Alléhaut
wordt vervolgd. Dit IVe gedeelte bevat de tegenwerpingen op de inzichten
van generaal von Taysen over de Fransche beginselen betreffende het gebruik
van vechtwagens en vliegtuigen en (als meest belangrijk gedeelte) op den
invloed der vuuruitwerking bij den aanval van infanterie. Wij halen daaruit
aan
„Le dogme d'après lequel une infanterie assaillante est désormais impuis-
sante a progresser dans la zone de feu d'infanterie du défenseur, si ce dernier
n'est pas dominé par un feu supérieur, ce dogme est done admis unanime-
ment, et il ne peut pas ne pas l'être; le général von Taysen lui-même ne
nous contredira pas.
Mais, ce qu'il ne faut pas, e'est que la croyance en dogme entraine
la sujétion de l'infanterie aux autres armes, les armes a matériel,
