Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-13

the neighboring hospitals, contracted tho
disease-all of them
Since then the American soldier hoy has
feared just one of these flying hypodermics.
loaded with yellow jack, far more than a
whole company OF ragged Cuban guerriias.
Equipment necessary to a hospital For
each regiment, also TO two fun field hos
pitals Went with this first expedition. FOR
the marines alone there were shipped ,hirty-
six water sterilizers, as a protection against
typhoid.
For the Signal Corps there was also sent
a fun supply of military telegraph and
telephone apparatus, cable. wig-wAg flags,
photographs. and a compete wireless outnt.
to be subjected to its first practical test
under field conditions This parapnernalla
is to constitute the nervous system of the
army In the field. and is ali-impOrtaut.
Also for the marines was sent complete
field telephone outfits.
To the big army arsenals at Frankfort.
Springfield and Rock Island the chief of
ordnance, soon as mobilization was
called for. wired rush orders for the rush
ing of ammunition ana arms to Newport
News-enouSh small arm ammunition to
enable each man 10 carry 4o rounds with
him, stuck in his cartridge belt. one extra
rifle for every ten men was also shipped.
And these small arms are every one or
them the new magazine rifles. with which
the army is already fully equipped. Every
soldier on the island will also carry the
new sword bayonct' adopted by ihe army
after our military observers travelling with
the Japanese forces had reported upon tho
latter's effective use Of it in their war with
Russia. While answering the fun require
ments of the Old bayOnet, this new weapon
serves the soldier as a sword when he is
placed in a position where he must defend
himself by hand-to-haud fighting.
\ machine gun was ordered for each
regiment. and I'm addition there were dis
patched To Newport News two batteries of
mountain artillery. This large quota of
machine guns shows that a great deal OF
fighting in the brush is anticipated should
the Insurgents prove hostile. With these
machine guns nothing but shrapnel VIII be
used, however. The mountain artillery bat
teries are intended for use in the wooded
hlllsides.
Landing the Marines.
While the cogs OF the great war machine
We're thus turning 1T home, history
being made by our men in Cuba with clock
work precision Out in Havana harbor Sec
rotary Taft had nearly 5000 marines and
lueiackets ready to land when he should
proclaim himself governor. AS soon he
had thus assumed authority the ships
boats filed with marines were towed from
the warShipS to the wharVeS in strings of
three and four by the launches. TO facili-
tate the landing of this force a long line of
street cars and freight ears were run direct
ly out upon the long pier where the landing
was made AS the marines filed into the
street cars their tents, Colt guns and other
supplies We're placed in the freight cars:
and as each car was filled it was started
\
by Gen. Funston for the American forces.
Our marines, in Their training, are given
the combined functions of infantry, signal
men, engineers and light artillery. One of
their rapid fire guns. weighing forty pounds
each, can, together with its tripod, be car
ried by a mounted marine in boat at his
side. 1t discharges each minute GOO army
shells arranged on a belt which feeds the
chamber. The marine is always the first
Yankee fighting man to land in a foreign
country with whom we are having trouble.
When hard pressed by superior forces he
depends for reinforcement upon his col
league, Jack Tar who is as scrupulously
drilled in the small arms manual and in
the use of portable shore artillery. A part
Of Jack Tar's discipline is the street riot
drill effective in putting down disorders
such as the insurgents might create in the
Cuban towns.
In short the perfect coordination OF our
entire body military is the great lesson to
be learned from this Cuban intervention
business.
JOHN ELFRETH WATKINS.