Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-08-29
FAVORS REDUCTION
Of CAVALRY.
Gen. Miles Regards it as Obsolete
And Believes Bicycles and Autos
Will Take Its Place.
ITS PROPORTION INJUOICIOUS.
He Would Have Government Construct
Military Roads for Strate.
gic Purposes.

Chicago, Aug. 2S,--The Chronicle to-
morrow win print a dispatch from
Washington saying;
Licut,-Gen. Nelson A, Miles
last communication TO the war Office
was made public TODAY through UNI
official sources in the war department,
II is In the form Of d letter to secy.
Of War Root In 70 are recon-
mendations for the Improvement Of the
army service. The general regards the
cavalry as obsolete, saying the auto
mobile win take the place Of the horse
in the next war, For that reason he
advises reducing the cavalry branch
to the minimum and the building OF
military roads Of strategic Importance
throughout the country IN time Of
peace. Gen, Miles letter says.
AT the commencement OF the Span
ish war, when we had wen trained
thoroughly equipped hardened and eX-
perlenced cavalry, a portion OF II was
obliged to remain at Tampa and 10 its
place newly organized troops were sent
to the front Now that was either all
wrong or the present organization OF
the army with the great expense at
tached thereto Is unWise and iniudi-
cious, and this subject requires. in my
judgment, the serious attention Of the
government
1T is safe to say that there are tens
Of thousands Of men In our country
who are In the saddle every day. who
are skilled In landcraft and use OF
arms and who can be easily converted
into a most formidable corps Of mount
ed rihemen In fact. there could easily
be modified In our country at least
ten times as many mounted men, many
Of whom have had military service. as
could be landed on our shores by any
government or governments within any
reasonable time. We have 100000 men
accustomed TO the saddle and rife that
could be used to quickly Overrun either
Canada or Mexico, Hence the dlspro-
portion Of our mounted forces 70 that
Of the main body OF the army is UNI
necessary and injudlcous.
The marvellous development In mod
ern arms-rifes, machine guns and
quick firing field artillery the
cavalry, as formerly used on the bat
tleheld. obsolete. while the wonderful
development in the use OF motor power
and electrical appliances has rendered
the horse far less important than for
merly, These facts are doubly Sig
nihcant and should be recognized by
the military authorities and the gov
eminent,
There is however, corps Of foros
required In Our army that could DO
rendered Of great utility. not only 10
the military, but 10 the people OF this
country. This power Is being rocog-
nized by European governments, and I
have several times recommended IS
use by ours, IL will be utilized In the
next war. and preparation FOR its use
by our army should no longer be neg
lected. ! have reference TO the bicycle
motorcycle and the auto. which thoy
have developed TO the extent that thev
have become q most valuable meanh OF
communication and transportation.
Five regiments Of cavalry should be
discontinued and q corps OF five regi-
mcnts should be organized thoroughly
trained and constantly employed In tho
use OF these modern appliances.
THE modern appliances Of road
building are vastly superior 70 those
formerly used lin fact, the work is now
done principally by machinery. and
this corps should be supplied with all
the recent inventions and improve
ments for that purpose,
THE millions OF dollars that are now
uselessy expended for third OF the
mounted force could IN this way be
utilized IN bringing about a great i'm
provcment in the army comforting Il
great benht upon the country, at the
same time training o most important
corps for military service, and urge
that this measure he recommended to
and authorized by Congress"