effects　of　a　long　war　can　realize　the　supreme　importance　of
  rapidity　in　bringing　it　to　a　close。　　Only　two　commentators　seem
  to　favor　this　interpretation；　but　it　fits　well　into　the　logic　of
  the　context；　　whereas　the　rendering；　〃He　who　does　not　know　the
  evils　of　war　cannot　appreciate　its　benefits；〃　　is　distinctly
  pointless。＇
  8。　　The　skillful　soldier　does　not　raise　a　second　levy；
  neither　are　his　supply…wagons　loaded　more　than　twice。
  ＇Once　war　is　declared；　he　will　not　waste　precious　time　in
  waiting　for　reinforcements；　nor　will　he　return　his　army　back　for
  fresh　supplies；　but　crosses　the　enemy's　frontier　without　delay。
  This　may　seem　an　audacious　policy　to　recommend；　　but　with　all
  great　strategists；　from　Julius　Caesar　to　Napoleon　Bonaparte；　　the
  value　of　time　　that　is；　being　a　little　ahead　of　your　opponent
  has　counted　for　more　than　either　numerical　superiority　or　the
  nicest　calculations　with　regard　to　commissariat。＇
  9。　　Bring　war　material　with　you　from　home；　but　forage　on　the
  enemy。　　Thus　the　army　will　have　food　enough　for　its　needs。
  ＇The　　　Chinese　word　translated　here　as　　〃war　　　material〃
  literally　means　〃things　to　be　used〃；　and　is　meant　in　the　widest
  sense。　　It　includes　all　the　impedimenta　of　an　army；　　apart　from
  provisions。＇
  10。　　Poverty　of　the　State　exchequer　causes　an　army　to　be
  maintained　by　contributions　from　a　distance。　　Contributing　to
  maintain　an　army　at　a　distance　causes　the　people　to　　　be
  impoverished。
  ＇The　beginning　of　this　sentence　does　not　balance　properly
  with　the　next；　　though　obviously　intended　to　do　so。　　　The
  arrangement；　　　moreover；　　is　so　awkward　that　I　cannot　　　help
  suspecting　some　corruption　in　the　text。　　It　never　seems　to　occur
  to　Chinese　commentators　that　an　emendation　may　be　necessary　for
  the　sense；　and　we　get　no　help　from　them　there。　　The　Chinese　words
  Sun　Tzu　used　to　indicate　the　cause　of　the　people's　impoverishment
  clearly　have　reference　to　some　system　by　which　the　husbandmen
  sent　their　contributions　of　corn　to　the　army　direct。　　But　why
  should　it　fall　on　them　to　maintain　an　army　in　this　way；　　except
  because　the　State　or　Government　is　too　poor　to　do　so？＇
  11。　　On　the　other　hand；　the　proximity　of　an　army　causes
  prices　to　go　up；　and　high　prices　cause　the　people's　substance　to
  be　drained　away。
  ＇Wang　Hsi　says　high　prices　occur　before　the　army　has　left
  its　own　territory。　　Ts‘ao　Kung　understands　it　of　an　army　that　has
  already　crossed　the　frontier。＇
  12。　　When　their　substance　is　drained　away；　　the　peasantry
  will　be　afflicted　by　heavy　exactions。
  13；　　14。　　With　this　loss　of　substance　and　exhaustion　of
  strength；　　the　homes　of　the　people　will　be　stripped　bare；　　and
  three…tenths　of　their　income　will　be　dissipated；
  ＇Tu　Mu　and　Wang　Hsi　agree　that　the　people　are　not　mulcted
  not　of　3/10；　but　of　7/10；　of　their　income。　　But　this　is　hardly　to
  be　extracted　from　our　text。　　Ho　Shih　has　a　characteristic　tag：
  〃The　PEOPLE　being　regarded　as　the　essential　part　of　the　State；
  and　FOOD　as　the　people's　heaven；　is　it　not　right　that　those　in
  authority　should　value　and　be　careful　of　both？〃＇
  while　government　expenses　for　broken　chariots；　worn…out　horses；
  breast…plates　and　helmets；　bows　and　arrows；　spears　and　shields；
  protective　mantles；　draught…oxen　and　heavy　wagons；　will　amount　to
  four…tenths　of　its　total　revenue。
  15。　　Hence　a　wise　general　makes　a　point　of　foraging　on　the
  enemy。　　One　cartload　of　the　enemy's　provisions　is　equivalent　to
  twenty　of　one's　own；　and　likewise　a　single　PICUL　of　his　provender
  is　equivalent　to　twenty　from　one's　own　store。
  ＇Because　twenty　cartloads　will　be　consumed　in　the　process　of
  transporting　one　cartload　to　the　front。　　A　PICUL　is　a　unit　of
  measure　equal　to　133。3　pounds　（65。5　kilograms）。＇
  16。　　Now　in　order　to　kill　the　enemy；　our　men　must　be　roused
  to　anger；　that　there　may　be　advantage　from　defeating　the　enemy；
  they　must　have　their　rewards。
  ＇Tu　Mu　says：　　〃Rewards　are　necessary　in　order　to　make　the
  soldiers　see　the　advantage　of　beating　the　enemy；　thus；　when　you
  capture　spoils　from　the　enemy；　they　must　be　used　as　rewards；　　so
  that　all　your　men　may　have　a　keen　desire　to　fight；　each　on　his
  own　account。〃＇
  17。　　Therefore　in　chariot　fighting；　　when　ten　or　more
  chariots　have　been　taken；　those　should　be　rewarded　who　took　the
  first。　　Our　own　flags　should　be　substituted　for　those　of　the
  enemy；　　and　the　chariots　mingled　and　used　in　conjunction　with
  ours。　　The　captured　soldiers　should　be　kindly　treated　and　kept。
  18。　　This　is　called；　using　the　conquered　foe　to　augment
  one's　own　strength。
  19。　　In　war；　then；　let　your　great　object　be　victory；　　not
  lengthy　campaigns。
  ＇As　Ho　Shih　remarks：　　〃War　is　not　a　thing　to　be　trifled
  with。〃　　　Sun　Tzu　here　reiterates　the　main　lesson　which　this
  chapter　is　intended　to　enforce。〃＇
  20。　　Thus　it　may　be　known　that　the　leader　of　armies　is　the
  arbiter　of　the　people's　fate；　the　man　on　whom　it　depends　whether
  the　nation　shall　be　in　peace　or　in　peril。
  …
  III。　　ATTACK　BY　STRATAGEM
  1。　　Sun　Tzu　said：　　In　the　practical　art　of　war；　　the　best
  thing　of　all　is　to　take　the　enemy's　country　whole　and　intact；　　to
  shatter　and　destroy　it　is　not　so　good。　　So；　too；　it　is　better　to
  recapture　an　army　entire　than　to　destroy　it；　　to　capture　a
  regiment；　a　detachment　or　a　company　entire　than　to　destroy　them。
  ＇The　equivalent　to　an　army　corps；　according　to　Ssu…ma　Fa；
  consisted　nominally　of　12500　men；　according　to　Ts‘ao　Kung；　　the
  equivalent　of　a　regiment　contained　500　men；　the　equivalent　to　a
  detachment　consists　from　any　number　between　100　and　500；　and　the
  equivalent　of　a　company　contains　from　5　to　100　men。　　For　the　last
  two；　　however；　　Chang　Yu　gives　the　exact　figures　of　100　and　5
  respectively。＇
  2。　　Hence　to　fight　and　conquer　in　all　your　battles　is　not
  supreme　excellence；　supreme　excellence　consists　in　breaking　the
  enemy's　resistance　without　fighting。
  ＇Here　again；　no　modern　strategist　but　will　approve　the　words
  of　the　old　Chinese　general。　　Moltke's　greatest　triumph；　　the
  capitulation　　　of　the　huge　French　army　at　Sedan；　　was　　　won
  practically　without　bloodshed。＇
  3。　　Thus　the　highest　form　of　generalship　is　to　balk　the
  enemy's　plans；
  ＇Perhaps　the　word　〃balk〃　falls　short　of　expressing　the　full
  force　of　the　Chinese　word；　which　implies　not　an　attitude　of
  defense；　　whereby　one　might　be　content　to　foil　the　enemy's
  stratagems　one　after　another；　but　an　active　policy　of　counter…
  attack。　　Ho　Shih　puts　this　very　clearly　in　his　note：　　〃When　the
  enemy　has　made　a　plan　of　attack　against　us；　we　must　anticipate
  him　by　delivering　our　own　attack　first。〃＇
  the　next　best　is　to　prevent　the　junction　of　the　enemy's　forces；
  ＇Isolating　him　from　his　allies。　　We　must　not　forget　that　Sun
  Tzu；　in　speaking　of　hostilities；　always　has　in　mind　the　numerous
  states　or　principalities　into　which　the　China　of　his　day　was
  split　up。＇
  the　next　in　order　is　to　attack　the　enemy's　army　in　the　field；
  ＇When　he　is　already　at　full　strength。＇
  and　the　worst　policy　of　all　is　to　besiege　walled　cities。
  4。　　The　rule　is；　not　to　besiege　walled　cities　if　it　can
  possibly　be　avoided。
  ＇Another　sound　piece　of　military　theory。　　Had　the　Boers
  acted　upon　it　in　1899；　and　refrained　from　dissipating　their
  strength　before　Kimberley；　Mafeking；　or　even　Ladysmith；　　it　is
  more　than　probable　that　they　would　have　been　masters　of　the
  situation　before　the　British　were　ready　seriously　to　oppose
  them。＇
  The　preparation　of　mantlets；　movable　shelters；　and　various
  implements　of　war；　will　take　up　three　whole　months；
  ＇It　is　not　quite　clear　what　the　Chinese　word；　　　here
  translated　as　〃mantlets〃；　described。　　Ts‘ao　Kung　simply　defines
  them　as　〃large　shields；〃　but　we　get　a　better　idea　of　them　from　Li
  Ch‘uan；　who　says　they　were　to　protect　the　heads　of　those　who　were
  assaulting　the　city　walls　at　close　quarters。　　This　seems　to
  suggest　a　sort　of　Roman　TESTUDO；　ready　made。　　Tu　Mu　says　they
  were　wheeled　vehicles　used　in　repelling　attacks；　　but　this　is
  denied　by　Ch‘en　Hao。　　See　supra　II。　14。　　The　name　is　also　applied
  to　turrets　on　city　walls。　　Of　the　〃movable　shelters〃　we　get　a
  fairly　clear　description　from　several　commentators。　　They　were
  wooden　missile…proof　structures　on　four　wheels；　　propelled　from
  within；　covered　over　with　raw　hides；　and　used　in　sieges　to　convey
  parties　of　men　to　and　from　the　walls；　for　the　purpose　of　filling
  up　the　encircling　moat　with　earth。　　Tu　Mu　adds　that　they　are　now
  called　〃wooden　donkeys。〃＇
  and　the　piling　up　of　mounds　over　against　the　walls　will　take
  three　months　more。
  ＇These　were　great　mounds　or　ramparts　of　earth　heaped　up　to
  the　level　o