Aeroplanes Make War Game Useless.

New York Times 100 years ago today, September 19, 1912:
British Manoeuvres Are Abandoned as a Result of the Effective Air Scouting.
ARMIES REACH A STALEMATE
Military Conference Is to be Held To-day to Discuss the Apparent Revolution in Warfare.
    CAMBRIDGE, England, Sept. 18.— Aviation, apparently, will revolutionize warfare. An official announcement was issued to-night that the army manoeuvres had been abandoned and that a military conference would be held here to-morrow morning to adjudge the results and explain the cessation of operations.
    This surprising situation has arisen from the fact that the rival armies reached a sort of stalemate. Owing to effective air scouting, entailing a constant change of tactics, no broad plan of action was possible. A series of minor engagements were fought to-day at various points, and when the day closed the exhausted armies were still in such positions that neither was able to claim that it had obtained an advantage of situation, and they were so close together that the only possible issue was a pitched battle at the bayonet point.
    The King was again for many hours in the saddle watching the operations, which were a disappointment from a spectacular point of view.
    The manoeuvres began on Monday and were to continue until Friday. On the opening day the manoeuvres were made notable by the brilliant work of the flying corps, one airship squadron and two aeroplanes squadrons being attached to each army. Both aeroplanes and airships did scout duty for hours, and all the movements of the rival armies were speedily conveyed to headquarters.