I recognize naturally that all exercises on this scale would cost a great deal of money and could never all be carried out systematically one after the other.  I wished, however, to ventilate the subject, firstly, in order to recommend all officers in high command to study the points of view under consideration—­a thing they much neglect to do; secondly, because it might be sometimes profitable and possible to carry out in practice one or other of them—­at the Imperial Manoeuvres, for example, or on some other occasion.  How much could be saved in money alone and applied usefully to this purpose were the above-mentioned country manoeuvres of the artillery suspended?  From reasons of economy all the commissariat waggons and columns need not actually be employed on such manoeuvres.  It would be useful, however, if, in addition to one detachment equipped on a war footing, the head waggons of the other groups were present and were moved along at the proper distance from each other and from the detachment, which could mainly be fed from the kitchen waggon.  It would thus be possible to get a sort of presentation of the whole course of the commissariat business and to acquire valuable experience.  It is, indeed, extraordinarily difficult to arrange such manoeuvres properly, and it must be admitted that much friction and many obstacles are got rid of if only the heads of the groups are marked out, and that false ideas thus arise which may lead to erroneous conclusions; but under careful direction such manoeuvres would certainly not be wholly useless, especially if attention is mainly paid to the matters which are really essential.  They would, at any rate, be far more valuable than many small manoeuvres, which can frequently be replaced by exercises on the large drill-grounds, than many expensive trainings in the country, which are of no real utility, or than many other military institutions which are only remotely connected with the object of training under active service conditions.  All that does not directly promote this object must be erased from our system of education at a time when the highest values are at stake.

Even then exercise in operations on a large scale cannot often be carried out, primarily because of the probable cost, and next because it is not advisable to interrupt too often the tactical training of the troops.

It must be repeated in a definite cycle in each large formation, so that eventually all superior officers may have the opportunity of becoming practically acquainted with these operations, and also that the troops may become familiarized with the modern commissariat system; but since such practical exercises must always be somewhat incomplete, they must also be worked out beforehand theoretically.  It is not at all sufficient that the officers on the General Staff and the Intendants have a mastery of these subjects.  The rank and file must be well up in them; but especially the officers who will be employed on the supply service—­that is to say, the transport officers of the standing army and those officers on the furlough establishment, who would be employed as column commanders.