d that arrangements will be made for procuring strategical
information by wireless telegraphy, balloons, motor cars, bicycles, &c.,
and that on the whole that nation will be best served in war which has
provided in peace a nucleus of mounted infantry capable of rapid
expansion to fill the gap which history shows always to have existed
between the infantry and the cavalry. Such troops need not be organized
in large bodies, for their mission is to act by "slimness," not by
violence. They must be the old "verlorene Haufe" (_anglice_, "forlorn
hope") of former days, men whose individual bravery and decision is of
the highest order. But they can never become a "decision-compelling
arm," though by their devotion they may well hope to obtain the grand
opportunity for their cavalry, and share with them in harvesting the
fruits of victory.

The great cavalry encounters of forty to sixty squadrons on either side,
which it has been shown must arise from the necessity of screening or
preventing the formation of the all-important artillery lines, will take
their form mainly from the topographical conditions of the district, and
since on a front of 60 to 100 m. these may vary indefinitely, cavalry
must be trained, as indeed it always has been, to fight either on foot
or on horseback as occasion requires. In either case, thoroughness of
preparation in horsemanship (which, be it observed, includes
horsemastership) is the first essential, for in the end victory will
rest with the side which can put in the right place with the greatest
rapidity the greatest number of sabres or rifles. In the case of rifles
there is a greater margin of time available and an initial failure is
not irremediable, but the underlying principle is the same in either
case; and since it is impossible to foretell exactly the conditions of
the collision, all alike, according to the class to which they belong,
must be brought up to the highest standard, for this alone guarantees
the smooth and rhythmical motion required for covering long distances
with the least expenditure of physical and nervous strength on the part
both of horse and rider. As a consequence of successes gained in these
preliminary encounters, opportunities will subsequently arise for the
balance of fresh or rallied squadrons in hand to ride home upon masses
of infantry disorganized and demoralized by the combined fire of
infantry and artillery, and such opportunities are likely to be much
more num