Cycle-Infantry Drill Regulations, prepared by Brig.-General Albert Ordway; Cyclists' Drill Regulations, United States Army, by Lieut. William T. May, M.A., Command ing Military Bicycle Detachment, Fort Sheridan, Illinois, Boston, Mass.. Pope Manufacturing Ca. 1892, We have received from Mr. Albert A. Pope, of Boston, Mass., a copy of each of these books, which in a comparatively small compass, and particularly handy form, give a mass of valuable information that has not been hitherto available to the student of cycle-military tactics without a vast amount of trouble. It has ut last come to be recognised, by experts in Europe and America, that the cycle is not merely the means of health-giving exercise, but that it can be made an important factor in military operations: In the English Army, and in the Volunteers, caroful experiments have shown that, given reasonably good roads, a body of men can be rapidly transported from place to place, noiselessly, and without much preparation On the continent—where by-the-by the pleasurable side of cycling has been rather neglected—the authorities have also been testing the cycle as a military adjunct, but it is in America, where old' ideas are not regarded as a fetish, that the modern mode of locomotion has been viewed with the lost prejudice. Major-General Nelson A. Miles, in his last' issued report says: "The results obtained, under the most adverse and discouraging conditions, prove conclusively that the bicycle will in the future prove to bea most valuable auxiliary in military operations, not only for courier service but also for rapidly moving organia bodies of men over the country." This report is due largely to the fact that a detachment of regular troops ut Fort Sheridan, Iinois, have been. testing the practicability of the bicycle for' military purposes. These tests have been of severe nature, over rough roads, at all seasons of the year, and have proved the great advantage of the wheel as a means of rapid transportation, In regard more particularly to the two sind judiciously compiled, ao well illustrated books calling for notice, they are ao clear!
with numerous diagrams, and withal 80 compact and so tastefully produced, that we can only accord them the highest praise, Beyond the instruction for performing the evolutions, chapters are added upon the care of the cycle, upon signalling by visual means, as well as the whistle, and the customary trumpet calls. Brig.-General Ordway's book contains @ comprehensive system of drill regulations, similar to those used in the cavalry service, whilst Lieut. May sets forth the drill regulations for the U.S. Army.based on the infantry drill, The former writer, in a chapter on afreet riot duty, argues that cycle-infantry. would be invaluable in cases of local disturbance of the peace, for the reason that they can be moved to points of incipient trouble with great rapidity. They would dismount on nearing the location of the mob, and leaving their cycles under proper guard, proceed with their work asx company of infantry. A perusal of the books suggests the question—Why should not Shan hai, in good time, Doast a cycle corps? Ouran roads are not, perhaps, many arleng, but still on the wholy they are of a very good order, and in tim, of disturbance @ small but rapidly moving.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.