Major Liles's Views
Major Liles's Views is a letter written by Charles E. Liles published in the magazine Cycling on 23 february 1910.
The letter was included among others in the section "The World of Wheels — The Cycling Army: Some Interesting Opinions and an Appeal." See also : Does the Cyclist Make a Good Target?
Major Liles's Views
It is with feelings of satisfaction, but also of sadness, that I read Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's letter in your issue of the 16th. Being a firm believer, with Lord Roberts, that, in a not very remote future, we may have to defend our country in a life-and-death struggle, I am pleased to find Sir Arthur lending his powerful influence towards developing one of the most effective means of defence; but it is sad to see that the advantages of military cycling have still, after more than 20 years of practical demonstration, to be forced on the authorities. The old 26th Middlesex V.R.C. amply showed, year after year, both at manoeuvres and tournaments, the points emphasized in his letter, but with little results. Certainly, under the Territorial scheme, several battalions of cyclists are proposed to be organized; but the number is still too small.
Perhaps the following experience of mine may be of interest. At Easter, 1899, in connection with my old corps, I made the first experiments with a motor for military purposes, in using a motor-tricycle to transport a Maxim gun. This did not excite the least apparent interest, so far as our own authorities were concerned. Possibly, as neither motors nor even cycles had contributed to the victories of Crecy, Agincourt, or Waterloo, they were not to be seriously considered by the British War Office or generals, and also the presumption of a Volunteer officer daring to try to bring things up-to-date was to be decidedly discouraged. Anyway, I heard neither praise nor condemnation from our people; but, on the other hand, I was favoured by a call a week or so afterwards from the military attaché of the German Embassy, to ask my views as an expert on the practicability of motor traction for military purposes. In the meantime, he had been making inquiries, and had obtained a complete specification of that motor-tricycle, and, in fact, knew far more of the details of the machine than I did myself.
CHAS. E. LILES (late Major-Commdr, 26th Mx. (Cyclist) V.R.C.).
