The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1896-07-22
BICYCLES In WAR.
The Wheel Has Become Popular
in the National Guard
As an Auxiliary to Military Facilities
the Two-WheeIed Vehicle VIII
BE of InestimabIe
Service. .aeezsSt9

\ secure foothoId has been obtained
ty the bicycle in the army and in the
rational guard. Officers, who by long
service under old conditions are likely
To be conservative to degree, admit
that before long the wheel will be Il
valuable aid to military movements in
time of war.
Some years ago Gen. Miles, who is
an enthusiastic advocate of the wheel,
said:
THE results obtained under the mos,
adverse and discouraging conditions
prove conclusively that the bicycle viii
III the future become most valuable
auxiliary in military operations, not
only for courier service, but also for
ia pidly moving organized bodies of men
ever the country.
Gen. Miles said in subsequent speech
20 whcelmen that the use of the bi
cycle for military purposes is onethat
would attract naturally the attention OF
every soldier.
eve all know" said Gen. Miles, 'sthat
~ military matters one of the principal
arts in war is rapidity of movements
and the power to move troops and mu-
nitions of war rapidly from one part OF
the country to another. Hannibal. the
master of the military art. was final.
overcome by the rapidity of movement
of one of the corps of the enemy against
portion of his army. Alexander
Hannibal and Cicero used horses and
Napoleon coaches in moving rapidly
portions of their corps from one part Of
the country to another.
''Now, the question is whether the
American forces mounted on wheels
can do as much as if mounted on horses
It is true that a man mounted on t,
wheel can move over the ordinary roads
with greater rapidity and make greater
distances than he could possibly move
on foot or mounted upon horse. II
is true that if you wish to send i, dis
patch and station racchorscs a shore
distance apart they might possibly
make better time than the wheeinen
could over the same road, but it is a
question, with the improvements that
YOU are making, whether wheelmen
cannot in time pass even the race
| horse.
st is estimated that there are in this
country over 25O,0O0 men who are. ac-
customed to ride the bicycle. If out OF
that number $4,000 men were organized
| ~ W OuId Ollc u lllt itlOsSt SIleCbISt'
army corps that was ever marshaled in
any country at any time
Not long ago Lieut.. Hunt, of Sheri-
dau, and few enlisted men. with bu+
| little experience in riding made a
march of Is miles on wheels in one
hour and 25 minutes. The men took
one long rest and carried the full equip
ments of a soldier. At the crd of tl,.
! ride Nvey.ea fresh aDo1,r-J, f,,
| the journey back "a pleasure The
ordinary time of such a march for sol
diers lNIrdened with their rifles ard be-
longings would be about FIVE hours
Some national guard officers of ranl.
do Dot take as hopeful view of the
service of bicycles i'll time. of war as
does the ranking officers of the army
They point out that there are head
winds. bad roads and punctured tires
to contend with. and that 10 ammuni-
tion or comnissariat train could keep
pace with corps of wheelmen. The
guardsmen say: 'Cycle infantry in large
bodies would sail to accomplish much.
but in small independent detachments
could accomplish great deal.
IF each regiment were allowed to or
ganize one of the additional companies,
provided for in the new drill regulations.
from the many bicycle clubs in the
vicinity, the guard would be much BEN
Gifted Such Il company should drill
as provided for in the present United
States Infantry Drill Regulations but
, in single rank when mounted. and
J should consider the bicycle simply as
means of locomotion. In addition.
each man should be good signal man
and have some knowledge CT teleg-
Taphy. His powers of observation
should be trained to the highest degree
md his ability to draw reconnaissance
maps accurately developed. Such y
company should be taught great inde-
pendence of action, and during the
summer months compelled to furnish
maps and information showing the
smallest details of the surrounding
country. y.''--Chicago Tribune.
Otto Rirofald &c now raadv to srnr1I