Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-11-15
Endurance Test Causes Lois OF
Trouble In The Army.
MAJOR GENERALS TO EXPLAIN
General Greedy Didn't Treat Test Sc
rlously-oeneral Funston Said to
Have Ridden in Automobile. But
Didn't Report Fact to Department.

|
WASHINGTON Nov. 1i.-Omccrs
of the General STAFF OF the army arc
having no end of difficulty on account
OF the Presidents order that Mi OIL.
GERS of the g.ade OF major. lieutenant
colonel and colonel should be put
through an endurance test in skilled
horsemanshp this fall aud every two
years thereafter. Not only do they
see imminent prospects of losing per-
haps one hundred officers. many of
them among the most efficient In the
army. Notwithstanding slight physical
ailments. but they a.e now cndcayor.
Ing TO determine whether all the de-
partment commanders properly con
Quoted tho tests according To the
Roosevelt ideas. A report must be
made to the President by the Secrc
| tary of War and now 1t begins to APP
pear that number OF the rides"
Will have to he conducted over again
At least three department comman
! dcrs are under investigations Maj
Gen. a. w. Greedy, commanding the
Department of Columbia, being one
of them. General Grcely's report was
slow coming in, and he has been
called upon for Information rs ito how
he conducted the test.
Aside from special note. General
Greedy will receive, in common with
all other department commanders, n
general order issued today under the
heading of physical Examination and
Horsemansh!p Test OF Field Officers
reading as follows:
| 1T appears that not all reports of
department commanders as to physi.
cal examination are sufficiently full
and defined. It is directed that they
be called on to render. wherever they
have not already done so. such full
and definite reports
| The Presidents order was inter.
preted by the Genera! staff to mean
that department commanders were tc
personally escort all the officers OF
the three grades in body. General
Greedy. 1t develops. after ordering all
This officers before n medical examin.
Ing board, allowed them TO pick out
Il l5-milc course wherever 1t suited
their fancy. take the ride alone and
submit report of 1t to him. All the
| ulllItlS iiuu HOl ItpOItsu lutlE rue DN
| November I. General Greedy may be
directed to assemble all the officers
together aud personally escort them
over n measured course of Is miles,
divided equally into walks. trots and
gallops.
Led the Ride In An Automobile.
But Brgadier-General Frederick
Funston. OF Philippine Aguinaldo
fame, turned the clevesest trick OF
all. Commanding the Department OF
| California. General Funston summon.
ed all the officers of the three grades
before him. had them properly exam.
ined aud those who passed the sur.
geons were ordered to mount their
steeds and take the ride. Instead OF
leading the cavalcadc on fiery
charger, as did General Duvali and
General Grant at Fort Meyer. General
Funston started the column of and
jumped into his automobile. "Eor.
ward. march!" he shouted. and the
horses started OFF to the music of the
"chugchug' of the army motorcar.
| While General Funston in his re-
port speaks about the brilliant sue.
cess" of the test and states that all
oil the officers were splendidly
mounted he refrains from mentioning
his own mount In the columns
were a dozen officers old enough to
be General Funston's father. ana
someone wrote n letter to n member
of the General Stan praising the mil
itary conduct of the army automobile
as mounted by the commanding gen.
eral.' This has led TO n quiet in.
auiry While General Funston does
not seem to have violated the regll.
lations, his action was not within the
spirit of the Presidents order. II tho
automobile is mentioned In the report
to the President. who frowns upon au.
\ tomobiles as he looks with favor on
good saddle horses. It is feared that
he may give Funston n stroke of tho
big stick.
In the meantime the dragnet of
General Ainsworth, Military Secre.
tary, is busy sweeping the country,
and every officer who did not take the
test before November /. either be.
cause of being away on leave. on spe
cial detail or i'll. will be rounded ub
for tho final ride.
| --------a, -s----<.------