f comprehension for the nature of War, and it is
therefore of the utmost importance that this comprehension should be
developed by suitable instruction. This is often sinned against,
because sufficient attention is not paid to such instruction, and also
because we still work on out-of-date lines, and without any
well-defined principles. In my opinion the recruit must not be
overwhelmed with a whole mass of thoroughly unpractical knowledge.

In this period of education one must limit the scope to only the most
important and necessary matters, but teach these so that the men
understand them clearly and thoroughly.

In the latter years one can build out systematically on this
foundation. Thus I consider it quite unnecessary to harass the recruit
with long-winded explanations of the military virtues--loyalty,
obedience, and courage--or with long lists of different salutes to be
given, the recipients of which never come within his ken. It is quite
superfluous to teach them the different parts of the lock of the
carbine and their mutual interaction, all about stable duty and guard
mounting. Even the theoretical instruction about the organization of
the Army, treatment of sore backs, horse sickness, etc., can be
reduced to much smaller dimensions than at present. Stable work and
guard duties, and so forth, a man learns much quicker and better from
daily practice. On the other hand, the time gained by curtailing these
matters must be used most zealously to teach him what he absolutely
must know for War. That is to say, the simplest principles of Field
Service, the composition of mixed detachments, practical shooting, and
the exterior treatment of the carbine. The instruction in Field
Service, which interests us here the most, can, for the recruits, be
kept down to very narrow limits. The principles to be observed in
placing pickets, vedettes, etc., he can very well do without. On the
other hand, he must know thoroughly those things which he will have to
do himself--his duty on patrols, or as bearer of a message, or
orderly, also the general connection of the military conditions
amongst which he will have to move or to notice amongst the enemy,
such as organization of the troops, arrangement of the outposts,
relation of the commands, plan and appearance of entrenchments,
shelter trenches, gun epaulments, cover, etc.[29]

[Footnote 29: Instruction with models helps the man quickest;
it is very difficult for t