SILVER MEDAL PRIZE ESSAY, 1898. 
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suited to that armament familiar to all ranks of our widely scattered 
regiment, and which has been the natural growth and outcome of many 
years experience, study, and work. On the other side lie vast 
possibilities indeed, but some uncertainty, for it is abundantly evident 
that the introduction of an armament possessing such different 
properties and powers to that at present in use, implies the introduction 
of new Tactics. 
But whilst the consideration of details on either side, tends to confuse 
the mind, with the complexity and variety of the numerous avenues of 
thought opened up before us, let us, in our search for guidance, lift up 
our eyes and look around. 
The scene changes.—Viewed from a more lofty standpoint, the tangled 
maze of advantage and disadvantage, of doubts and difficulties, sinks 
beneath our feet and assumes its true proportions. 
What do we see ? 
In every country, in every department of commerce, and industry, 
we see one prevailing tendency towards an increase of speed. Broadly 
speaking, this is the general line along which all things are moving, 
some, so to speak, of their own initiation and volition, others unwill¬ 
ingly forced along this line of progress by the mighty and resistless 
march of events. Within recent years we have seen the effect on 
business of the introduction of rapid communication through the 
telephone ; ships cross the ocean at speeds steadily increasing ; in the 
designs of vessels for warlike purposes, higher and yet higher speeds 
are continually being aimed at, while the immense, but slow working 
guns, formerly in use, have been discarded in favour of Quick Firers. 
Coast defence guns are following the same lines. The infantry of all 
nations have adopted quick-firing rifles—for such is the true property 
of the so-called magazine rifle—and the even more rapid Maxim and 
other automatic shooting machines have been introduced. Even to the 
individual, cycles have given power of rapid locomotion previously 
unknown, and year by year we find these geared to higher speeds. 
Where, in fact, can we turn, without seeing clear evidence of this 
tendency of the times ? 
Should however, any be disposed to think that this universal 
tendency may have one exception—that that exception is in the 
matter of Field Artillery—and that consequently Field Artillery can 
stand fast in its present condition of efficiency, and view with indiffer¬ 
ence the striding progress of all round—let these consider the following 
extracts taken from the ordinary daily press during the last few months. 
In the Times on the 29th of June, 1897, there appeared among the 
telegrams from Berlin, a short note on the work of the German 
Reichstag during the session, 1896-97. The following little sentence is 
pregnant with meaning and warning : “ A vote of 44,000,000 marks for 
the introduction of Quick-Firing Artillery was quietly passed with the 
approval of all parties except the Socialists.” 
Five months later, in the Morning Post of 15th November, 1897, 
appeared the following paragraph : “ The transformation of the French 
Field Artillery is so far advanced that 100 batteries of six pieces each, 
are already available for service. Detachments from each Artillery 
Regiment are being trained to use the new guns at Chalons. The 
secret has been well kept. The new weapon is called the “ Deport 
gun ” after Colonel Deport its inventor. It is of course Quick-Firing, 
and throws steel shells of 75 milimetres calibre. The Deport gun is 
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