The Holly chieftain., 1908-01-10
pRGsioGMr GMpHAs,zEs iMPoR.
TAMcG OF HoRsgMANsHIP
ron ARMY OFFICERS.
DEFENDS RIDING TEST
PHOTOGRAPHS or UNIQUE FEArs
or HoRsGMAMsHiP SENT
coNoRgse.

W8BuluSLOu.-lQl QlEU00u puOtOBT6pQu
from life, illustrative OF hair-raising
exploits In horsemAnship. form the
unique exhibit sent to Congress by di.
rection Of the President to accompany
recommendations from himself and
the chief of stan for the betterment Of
army riding. These pictures are in.
tended to show how far ahead of
American military men are European
officers N the art Of equation. They
certainly constitute remarkable se-
ries. One of the most thrilling pic
lures represents an Italian cavalryman
riding over a twenty-foot perpendicu-
lar cliff, the photograph being taken In
series to illustrate the sagacity Of the
horse and the skill OF the rider in
maintaining poise within the center
of gravity In different stages Of the
descent. There arc pictures of Ger
man student officers apparently leap
ing from hill to hill, of fat majors and
lieutenant colonels Of the same ma
tionality wallowing through bogs and
swamps, over hedges, French obstacle
riding, the famous drag hunt Of the
German army and stirring pictures Of
the hounds In full cry ON boar hunts.
The official correspondence with
tn Sc pictures consists Of letter from
the President to the secretary Of war
on December Sd last, requesting him
to secure legislation to make infantry
captains mounted ofncers and estab-
lish remount depots, saying:
Both Of these measures are essen
tial to the improvement Of horseman-
ship in tho army"
Another letter from the President to
the chairman Of the house committee
on military affairs transmits report
from Mai. Gen. Bell. chief Of staff, ex-
planning the photographs. the Prest-
dent saying:
1.-THE field officers Of our army can
not be held exclusively responsible for
the poor riding which has .haen fire.
Quently observed among them. The
quality Of our horses does not equal
that Of mounts used in foreign armies.
Furthermore. though all infantry cap
tains in European armies are mounted.
an infantry ohicer In our service has
little opportunity to practice riding
until he becomes field omcer."
General Bell prefaces his own re-
port Of quoting note from the Pres
ident referring to "a number OF press
comments, apparently inspired by the
impression that such test (riding
ability was something extraordinary
and unheard Of" and requesting him
to state the requirements in foreign
armies In this respect. Speaking gen.
orally, the report shows that the rule
In Europe is that all mounted olncers
Of every grade shall keep themselves
and their mounts In fit condition for
instant war, and most Of them main
tain schools where student ohicers are
constantly under Instruction In horse
manship.
Taking up the great military coun-
tries separately, General Bell praises
the French cavalry All oficers Of
cavalry take two mbnths' course in
eQuitation and in endurance whenever
they become majors and lieutenant col
onels, at ages varying from thirty i've
to fifty.ave years, and weights ranging
from 1873 to $50 pounds. The course
includes obstacle jumping, hedge and
wlter jumping and cross-country work
generally. The school horses are used
and changed every day, and the ON
Ger spend about four and half hours
daily in the saddle. Besides this he
exercises his own two or three private
mounts. Steeplechasing 10 frequently
indulged. in. and 1t is not an uncom-
mon thing to see gray-haired majors
or lieutenant colonels indulging in this
sport. One French test last year con-
sisted of one day Of school work, one
day for a march approximating forty
I'VE miles at an average speed of eight
miles and hour, one two-mile steeple-
chase and one days obstacle jumping
Admiral erownson Rebuked.
Washington.- President Roosevelt's
attitude ON the question Of the COM
mand of hospital ships In the navy,
which resulted in the resignation Of
Rear Admiral Willard H. Brownson
and incidentally some caustic observ-
ations on that incident and the con-