302 
SILVER MEDAL PRIZE ESSAY, 1898. 
said to be far superior to the present German Artillery, and to have no 
recoil owing to an ingenious mechanism.” 
In the face of the above, can anyone doubt that the time has come for 
the re-armament of our Horse and Field Artillery with an up-to-date 
weapon. 
Two great Nations, with full sense of the great responsibilities 
involved, have taken the plunge, and is not this a proof that in the 
opinion of many great authorities the balance of advantage and dis¬ 
advantage is on the side of the improved weapon. 
It has been suggested by some as a kind of compromise, that the 
Horse Artillery only might be re-armed, leaving the Field Artillery as 
it is. It is submitted that the whole of the foregoing plainly demon¬ 
strates the fallacy of such a view. The success of a Q.F. equipment* 
must depend on interchangeability and organization. Partial measures 
would rather weaken than strengthen our position, and if re-armament 
be decided upon, every gun that may be brought face to face with 
modern continental artillery, should be of the same up-to-date pattern. 
Artillery, like the Navy, is a service that depends greatly for its 
efficiency on the character of its material. No amount of devotion or 
self-sacrifice on the part of its personnel can compensate for inferiority 
in armament ; and, like the Navy, its equipment should be always of 
the very latest quality. 
SECTION VI— Conclusion. 
What is to be on the side of the superior artillery ? Ask of the long, 
steady line of German guns at Gravelotte on an August afternoon some 
30 years ago ; before whose mighty fire, the opposing batteries 
were incessently moving and shifting position. Ask too, of the 
immense horseshoe of German batteries deciding the destiny of the French 
Empire on September 1st, 1870. To see what it is to be on the side of the 
inferior artillery, let us regard the unfortunate French batteries at Sedan, 
destroyed, in spite of gallant effort, by the terrible storm of artillery 
projectiles coming from the surrounding heights. 
What is it to an Army to possess the superior artillery ? The main 
feature of the Franco-German War was the commanding use made by 
the Germans of their artillery—the mighty power of this arm wielded 
as it was in masses—that is, producing its effect by means of a heavy 
and pitiless storm of projectiles—again and again exerted a tremendous 
influence on the fortunes of the battle fields. 
What is it to a Nation to have the superior artillery ? So far as we 
are aware, the teachings of all History show that Victory has always 
declared for that side which has developed the most powerful Artillery 
—and victory in battle means success in the campaign. Think of the 
cost of an unsuccessful war—the waste of life ; the loss of prestige and 
power, trade and commerce, territory and money ; what is the cost of 
an up to date armament in comparison with the many milliards of a 
war indemnity. 
The importance therefore of a correct decision in the matter of 
artillery equipment is gigantic. The new conditions of things deserve 
the most careful consideration of our highest authorities, and should 
this consideration be found to establish the fact that a Q.F. equipment 
will have a decided superiority over existing armament, then let us 
boldly ask the Government and the country for the money necessary to 
