Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-10-22
ARMY RIDING TEST,
How Fifteen Mile Trip Fer Oil
GERS Is Regarded.
RETIRING BOARDS FEARED.

Rough Riding Order May Have Been
Merely the Presidents Within, Says a
q Friend, but It May Help Younger
Men on General Staff by Early Pro-
motions. y
{ All Of the army officers Of field grade,
both Of line and staff. who are stations
ed in the neigh borhood of New York
and elsewhere in General Grants de-
partment Of the east are to go to
Washington this month to submit to
the physical test of fifteen miles of
hard riding on a horse, as ordered by
the president, says the New York Post.
Nobody above the rank of captain will
be allowed to escape the ride or the
ruling Of a surgeon that he is physical
~ unfit to take it. For obvious rea-
sons army officers dread either fate.
"A man who is qualified in three
ways TO discuss the matter-he is q
friend of the president, an intimate ac-
quaintanee of many officers and an en-
thusiastic rider himself-said recently
that the order was about as unjust as
could be imagined.
1T was" he said, merely a Whim
with the president at first, but l be-
lieYe that it has now developed into a
shrewd move on the part Of the gen
eral staff to make way for promotions
by Kidding the army of men who are
thoroughly capable and at for the work
they are doing, but are too old to do
spectacular athletic stunts in rough
riding. s@S
AS the suggestion was originally
made by the president it applied only
to the officers of the line, but the gen
eral staff went him one better and
made the order comprehensive enough
to include the staff officers. The presi.
dent no doubt approved their amend
ment, otherwise we wouldn't have the
situation as it now is The general
stair is made up very largely Of young
men. To claim for them that they
didn't realize that their action might
put many Of their seniors on the re-
tired list would be to charge them with
stupidity OF "A very dense variety.
The plan, even In It's original appli-
cation to line officers only, was unrea-
sonabie and unnecessary and absolute.
" without precedent In the history Of
the army. But, as I said before, I
think 1t was the result Of a within, put
into effect without any elaboration as
to results.
President Roosevelt Is very impul-
sive. He was a weakling, physically,
when he was a boy and went west TO
be built up. The process was success
fui. Among other heroic things he did
was to go rough riding with the cow
boys. 1t undoubtedly did him worlds
Of good, and he still loves to jump into
the saddle and ride hard. So because
1t benefits him and because he likes to
do 1t he thinks that all men ought to
do II. That Is a great mistake anoth-
er case Of acting on impulse.
All army officers may yet be order
ed to develop certain degree Of pro-
dciency in tennis or kill a given num-
Der of bears as an essential to promo
ton or qualify as marksmen by shoot
ing at mountain lions. The dangers
and possibilities seem almost limitless.
But let us consider this thing seri-
ously. first with reference to officers Of
the line. We may pass over the caval-
~ and light artillery, for in those arms
of the service hard riding is merely In
eidental to the daily work not only of
the field officers, but Of the captains
and lieutenants. Excellent horseman-
ship Is required Of them as matter Of
course
18th the infantry it Is another sto-
ry. Until he attains field rank an Off
Ger of infantry never has any opportu-
nifty to ride. OF course all the officers
have learned to ride In their cadet
days at West Point and there, theoret-
ically at least. all had the same oppor-
tunities in the saddle But even there
that isn't actually SO. Good riding quail.
tiles develop in some youngsters and
not ia others, and the average cadet
knows long before he gets his first
4 commission whether he wants to be a
caFalryman or an engineer, an officer
OF infantry or of artillery, and very
naturally he has the most interest and
enthusiasm in that part of his cadet
work that leads particularly to the
branch Of the service which he hopes
to get into. But the day that class is
graduated from the academy ell equal.
ity OF opportunity for riding, real OF
theoretical, ends for good.
Through all the years that an In.
fantry officer Is a second lieutenant
lieutenant and captain he must march
afoot with his men Then he becomes
y a field officer and for the sake of con.
4 Fenience Is mounted. But the pace al
which be will so is governed by the
I marching ability Of foot troops. His
service viii never require any very
strenuous riding. d RI
Take colonel Of infantry, for In
stance. a man somewhat heavy and d
little advanced in years. He can sit IN
the saddle all day and move with his
N command but he can't jump hurdles
or ride like a charging dragon fol-
fifteen miles. That would kill him.
General Smarter weighed 800 pounds
Down in Cuba they had to lift him