New-York tribune., 1903-05-17

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American cavalry so as to institute a good COM
Tarison between it and the British cavalry. Both
Colonel Edgerly. the commanding officer OF the
I'd Cavalry. and his adjutant Captain Lewis.
we're particularly surprised at this declaration
attributed TO General Baden-PoweH, to wit:
Your cavalry have not yet had good oppo--
tunity-such as we have had in the Boer war,
for instance-to show their staying powers in a
severe and lengthy campaign 1 am inclined to
think that if the chance ever comes to your
mounted regulars their present mode Of Diet
will tell its tale in enormous sick list"
No cavalry in the world has had the oppor-
tunities for training and for tests Of its en5ur-
ance that ours has had" retOrts Captain Lewis.
Until the Indians We're completely qaciled.
which was only a few years ago. our cavalry
for more than a hundred years had work Of the
most constant and the severest kind to DO Now
that there are TO longer Indian campaigns 60 be
made. the government has established at Fort
Riley a training school for cavalry and light
artillery that has not its equal in the world.
Perhaps if General Baden-Powen had gone out
to Fort Riley and there observed the practical
methods of cavalry and artillery campaigns
constantly employed he would have been better
informed as 20 the efficiency and endurance OF
our cavaIrymen. / will venture the assertion that
even in my days of Indian campaigning our cav
airy has made longer and swifter marches than
any made by the British cavalry IN the boer
war I recall a march OF ninety miles IN one
day that 1 once made from Fort Custer with
my troop and did not have either a man or
q horse reported sick or otherwise disabled If
that was not a satisfactory test of endurance,
both of the men and horses. what was it,
would not be afraid to match our cavalry. man
for man and horse for horse with that Of Eng
land or any other country"
General Baden-Powen was quoted as saying
that the physique Of the American cavalry is
below that of the British" and also that there
is too much luxury in the matter Of food" He
went ON to say, according to the report which
he has denied the food which your cavalry
men are given each day is far too highly sea-
soned Too much coffee is also drunk by the
men. Plain but substantial food. with no cof-
fee and tea only occasionally, combined With a
thorough course of gymnastic exercises and u
salt water bath every day in the week when N
barracks. is what the British cavalryman in
duIges in in order TO keep himself in perfect
pbvsicaI condition. Plain diet, rigorous exercise
i'm the gymnasium combined with the regular
drill and other hard routine work of barrack
life have made the British cavalryman superior
certainly he cannot be surpassed. by any other
eavalryman in the wOrld-in physical coEdi-
ton"
In order to refute the assertion that our cav
aIrynen are Oyerfed or that their food is too
highly seasoned Captain Lewis had the quar-
ternaster of one of the troops at Fort Myer
make out the menu Of each meal for the last
week The menu for two days viii serve 10
show the character of the food upon which the
troopers of the ID Cavalry subsist when in bar
racks. These were the bills of fare for Mon
day and Wednesday. and do not vary In any
important respect from those of the other days
of the week
MONDAY.
Breakfast-Bacon boiled potatoes. oatmeal AMI mi X
bread, butter and coffee
Dinner-RoaSt and gravy mashed potatoes -,tNt4
soup. bread coffee. Ick!eS
Ssupper-Beef stew, Stewed peas, tred lnSh i- @-F'
and coffee.
Ireakfast-Bacon. boiled potatoes. oatmeal and milk
bread butter. coffee ,,
TGnner-VegetabIe soup. beef and gravy. boiled
rotatoes cabbage. pickles, bread coffee
Supper-Fricasseed beef, boiled potatoes, se"t- I.~
bread, coffee.
These meals, of course. are based upon the
regulation ration issued to the troops as a part
Of their compensation. Each company or troop
accumuIates by voluntary subscription Of the
men what is known as company mess fund