Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-11

service 1t has seen, and the training 1t has
| had.
| The maintenance of high state OF eff
| cheney in the service is due largely, to the
| eternal watchfulness of the officers. and
| their work In training their men. Your
real officer Is a worker-from reYelle until
teps-and often long after that. The true
cavalry captain attends his troop stables
morning and evening; or inspects the
horses, in the stables, the picket
| lines, at least twice a day. One of his
NtLtenants is always detailed by him to
take stables" Il. e., be on hand at groom
Ing time and superintend the work., but
tho captain should be there to advise and
confer with his subordinate, and to counsel
him as to the proper method of procedure.
The cavalry captain has learned the
emptiness of being popular with his men.
He has realized by hard service, that the
man who has the confidence of his SUBJ
ordinates is the man who has confidence in
hin self, and is not afraid to permit his
self-reliance to carry him through when
his conscience tells him he is right though
it may seem trife hard on the men. The
troop, the company Of cavalry is called,
Is the unit CT strength and efficiency and
the troop commander IS the whom
the success of the organization depends,
whether it be troop, squadron, regimental
or larger unit. His duties are legion and
his responsibilities many. The care and
safe keeping of the horses intrusted to him
is only fraction of the work required. He
is held personally responsible for every
piece Of equipment issued to his troop,
whether II be quartermaster commissary
o. ordnance stores. He is personally
charged with the value of many of these
things, notably the horses, and he Is held
responsible for their wear and tear. There
Is Sinking the duties. either. An in
speeding officer is liable to visit the post at
and IN he shown the hooks and
equipment He is charged with the duty
OF inspecting and reporting. impartially. on
everything he sees, whether II be the con-
dition of the stables or the morale of the
men. So, therefore, the cavalry captain
has his hands full a all times, to keep his
head above water and to forge his troop
ahead in the general progress OF the army
Each troop Is like a family. The command
nS officer is absolute. His orders, of what
ever nature must be obeyed If the SOL
der thinks he IS being imposed upon he has
means of redress through the proper mill
tary channels but even IL he knows his
commanding officer is wrong and If he in
tends to appeal or has appealed, to
higher authority this does not excuse him
from executing the orders given him. what
ever and however they may be-
This. II will be seen, is another respon-
sihility for the already burdehed captain
He must so regulate his work that there
shall be no appeals. He must do what he
can to keep the men interested In their
work. 1t is his duty to see that his men
secure the proper food in sufficient quanti-
ties: to see that II is properly cooked and
served. He must keep his troop kitchens
clean and in perfect sanitary condition
II" must watch the dormitories have them
poliCed-cleaned-in addition to keeping
watchful eye the condition of furniture
and fittings. with all of which he is charged
or the quartermaster's ordnance officers
returns. The very clothing of the men are
to be watched and cared for. Every man
must be kept properly clothed and equipped.
And the captain makes his men keep clean
and healthy, morally and physically. These
are few of the things that require the
care of the troop commander In connection
with maintaining the efficiency Of his troop
The standard is as high as practical ex-
perience and the best regulated theories
can place It. and is mounting higher every
year. There are new things to be learned
and new equipment coming into use all
The educa ton of the officer of cavalry
begins when he joins his regiment after
his appointment as second lieutenant West
Point men as rule, make the best cavalry
officers. This rule is recognized by the
War Department and appointments to 1t
are being reserved, as far as possible for
the graduates of the academy This rule
is not arbitrary, and must not be taken to
reject in any measure on the ability of the
large number of officers now in the army
who have been appointed from civil life,
who have risen from the ranks, or come
In through the volunteer forces. One of
the best cavalry officers among the younger
officers of the army is not a West Pointer,
but an appointee from the volunteer forces.
Two other exceptionally good officers came
from the ranks All OF these men are bet
te: than many West Pointers, and the