Los Angeles herald., 1908-01-06
u. S. ARMY
OFFICERS ARE
POOR RIDERS
SUPERIORITY OF EUROPEANS
SHOWN BY ROOSEVELT
Fat Germans Take Cross-Country
Jaunts, Leap Hedges and bitches
to Keep Themselves in
Condition

By Associstee Presa
WASHINGTON. Jan. 8. = Thirteen
photographs from life. illustrative Of their
racing exploits in horsemanship. form the
UNIQUE exhibit sent to congress by direc-
ton of the president to accompany recon-
mendations from himself for the chief
of staff for the betterment OF army rid
ing. These pictures are intended to show
how far ahead of American military men
are Europeans in the art of equation.
They certainly constitute remarkable
series.
One of the most thrilling pictures rep
resents an Italian cavalryman riding over
a 20-foot perpendicular cliff, the photo
graph being taken in series to illustrate
the sagacity o. the horse and the skill
of the rider In maintaining pose within
the center of gravity in different stages
of the descent.
There are pictures of German student
officers apparently ieaping from hill to
hill. of fat majors and lieutenant colonies
of the same country going through boys
and swamps. over hedges, riding the
famous drag hunt of the German army
and stirring pictures Of the hounds In
full cry on bear hunts.
For Remount Depots
The official correspondence with these
pictures consists of a letter from the
president to the secretary of war on
December 80, requesting him to secure
legislation to establish remount depots,
saying:
Both of these measures are essential
to the Improvement of horsemanship In
the army"
Another letter from the president to the
chairman Of the house committee on mil
itary affairs. transmits report from
Mai. Gen. Bell, chief of staff. explaining
the photogra phs, the president saying:
THE field officers of our army cannot
be held exclusively responsible for the
poor riding which has been frequently
observed among them. The quality Of our
horses does not equal that of mounts used
in foreign armies. Furthermore. though
all infantry captains in European armies
are mounted. an infantry officer in our
service has little opportunity to practice
riding until he becomes a field officer"
Gen. Bell prelaces his report by quoting
a note from the president referring to "a
number of press comments, apparently
inspired by the impression that such
test (riding ability was something ex-
traordinary an unheard Of" and re-
lllIIl 10 STATE the
in foreign armies In this respect.
All Fit in Europe
Speaking generally, the report shows
that in Europe all mounted officers of
every grade shall keep themselves and
their mounts in fit condition for instant
war and most of them maintain schools
where student officers are constantly I'M
der instruction in horsemanship.
MoranUef- he conditions Of n
service are so different from our own
that the daily work OF nearly all mount
ed officers is performed under the eye
Of their superior officers, affording ample
opportunity to judge their qualificat tons
in horsemansh4p so that special tests are
superfluous. The great annual maneu-
vers also afford practical testing for all
officers and any officer deficient in horse
manship at any time is assigned to some
kind of duty not requiring physical
activity, practically shelved or. becomes
subject to retirement without further ex-
animation. Cross country riding TO hounds
is participated in by all mounted officers
whose efficiency in riding is as well known
to everybody rs their personality.
Taking up the great military countries
separately Gen. Bell praises the French
cavalry. All officers of cavalry take a
two months course in equitation and in
p
at ages varying from IS to s. years. and
weights ranging from 1875 pounds to $50
pounds. The course includes obstacle
jumping, hedge and water jumping and
cross country work generally. The
school horses are used and changed
every day and the officer spends about
four and half hours daily in the saddle
Besides this he exercises his own two
or three private mounts.
German Tests Severe
In Germany il is a common thing TO
call a goodly number OF officers of the
rank of captain and higher from the
army for deficiency in riding or endur-
ance in the saddle. When brigades and
miles a day. mostly at night. 1t can be
seen that a very considerable demand
is made on the senior mounted officers.
Saws Gen. Bell: "At Hanover, where
the German riding institute is situated
the bride paths are gull of fat majors
and captains hammerihg along with grim
determination in their faces.
Referring to such officers young stu
dents of the riding school have a jocular
saying. His bread basket will buy lin
top hat before long meaning that the
brigade commander will write the officer
referred TO a most courteous note thank
ing him for his splendid service rendered
/ the fatherland for so many years. saying
he would always be held in the highest
esteem for his efficiency etc, whereupon
the recipient forwards his application for
retirement.
| 1.-THE way officers who really love their
profession struggle against stoutness and
incapacity for actual work which means
that they must go. is said to be pitiful
1t is also astonishing what wonders dog
ged perseverance, in practice effects"
The hardest German test is a drag
hunt lasting six weeks. three hunts
week beginning with a gallon of from
five to six hlometers and working up to
thirty. The going is stiff. the fences are
big, with numerous streams and bitches
and the ground soft and slippery. No one
but the surgeon stops for a man that
goes down.
Says Gen. Bell: "That the test is really
severe may be judged from the fact that
1t is commonly referred to as the
'knochen muchle.' Ozone miln on account
of the number of bones broken
ST. MARY's PARocHIAL
SCHOOL is DEDICATED