The Latest in Books

"Self-Helps for the Citizen Soldier," by Captain James A. Moss, U.S.A., and (George Banta Publishing Company), is a little book which will be of great value to the man who has not much time to devote to military study, but who nevertheless wishes to do his part, that, in war time, he will not be absolutely "green." The volume does not claim to be a manual; it is merely a guide, whereby "the civilian may inform himself in a general way concerning military rudiments and other military matters,...may better understand the general nature of things military, and may thereby learn the soldier's trade all the sooner."

General Wood contributes a preface, emphasizing the duty of every citizen to prepare and train himself. "It is not enough for a man to be willing; he must be trained. Willing, but untrained men, cannot meet with any hope of success equally good men trained and disciplined."

The book proper begins with a brief statement of the nature of war, and a summary of the military history and military policy of the United States. The first chapter also includes a refutation of the popular fallacies of our belief in our security from war, and in our ability to meet it without previous preparation, should it ever come. The second chapter discusses in detail the defences of the United States, and their organization. Chapter III depicts the enormous difficulties in the way of raising and supplying a volunteer army of the size we should need today, were we called on to fight any first-class power.

With the fourth chapter, we reach a study of the making of a modern army. Starting with the individual fighting man, we are shown how he himself is trained, and later how he is fitted into the general scheme of a huge fighting machine. The discussion, which takes five chapters, treats not only the technical side of drill and organization, but also touches on the by-products of military training,--military habit, discipline, efficiency, self-confidence, self-control, orderliness, loyalty, and obedience.

There follows a sketch of the organized militia, and of the various summer military camps. Chapter XII is a narrative of a battle as it is really fought, explanatory of the part played by the various branches of the service, officers and men. The remainder of the book consists of advice to citizens in time of peace, and a creed for soldiers in time of war.

Written in part in the language of the drill and field service regulations, the volume is not a piece of literature. It is, however, useful, and to the man who realizes that he will perhaps at some time be a citizen soldier decidedly interesting.