Musket-firing In Foreign Armies

A very exhatistive examinatiou of ihc. systema of mutketry instruction in forcé iu the Germán, Atistriau atüfl Freneb armies is nt the present timo boing publisbed iu the Wbokenblait. The series of articles on tho subject is not yet completed, bnt from the details whieh havo buen already fciven tbe importance whieh ia attachcd in all three armies to tho exercise of the troops in what may be oalled "fleld-fllin(?" becomes very evident. In the Germán army eapecially the practico of the men in firing under conditions whicb nro as similar as possible to íhose which are Hkely to cxist in actual warfure is strongly insisted upoD; and in the Ansí xión and even in the French army - althcugh in this respect tbe regulations of the last are far behind those of the other two forcea -the troops are much more diligently exercised in suob work than they are in any other nrmy. Extensive tracts of broken, varicd and uneven ground are uaturally necessary for carrying on snch exercises, and of late years the Prqssian military authorities have obtained several (xlraortlinary votes for the purchaso of suitable arcaa; po that at the present time we are told that there is hardly a detachmeiit of infantry in the empire whicb has not an opportunity during the year of practicing fleld-flring. Wlien tbe exercises take place the different units are temporarily raised to tbeir war strengtb in order both tbat tbe men may be acoustomed to work in large bodiee, and, also, that tho ofíicers may learn to guide and control the firo of battalions, compauies, sections, etc., wben on "tbeir fnll establishment. Various objeets at different unknown distances are pointed out, a limited time is only allowed for deploying and brmging the men into action, each group of targets is only üred at for a short period, and all the movements ordered are covered by some simple tactical "general idea." The valué of such exercises, if properly nnd systematically carried out, can hardly be overrt ted; and the fact that, einoe the war of 1870-1, increased attention in their conduct and supervisión has been demanded from the offleers of the Germán army is a proof that this fact is fully rocognized by the military autborities.