Omaha daily bee., 1908-01-06
CAPTAIN MOUNTED OFFICER
Recommendation President Asks Con-
gress to Act On Now.
BETTER HORSES AND RIDERS
seeks to Improve Emciency In the
HOrsemhnshIp Among the Sol
dlers of the United
states Army.

| to ask congress for legislation making in
fantry captains in the United states army
mounted officers and for the establishment
! of as many remount depots may be
necessary TO furnish rcmounts for the
army.
Ills chief purpose is to raise the standard
| Of efficiency Of horsemanshtp in the army
and To improve the service throughout He
/ directed "A communication to the secretary
OF war under date of December %, request
| ing him to call this matter to the attention
OF the military committees Of the house
! and senate for the earliest possible con-
! slderatton and has also himself sent COM
| munications under date of January 4, to
| these chairmen. pointing out the need for
! such legislation lie includes in his letters
| to the chairman a long communication
| from Major General J. +. Bell, chief OF
| staff Of hc,army. compiled at the request
| OF the president. showing the conditions
| I'm foreign armies as compared with those
in the American army. with the odds in
| favor of the foreigners. He points out the
superior horsemanship in European armies
and urges that proper measures be taken
| to improve those in the troops of the
| United tSates
Text of the Correspondence.
Here are the communications exchanged:
| THE WHITE HOUSE, WASHINGTON,
! Dec. y, 1907.-To the Secretary of War: l
wish you would take such measures as
! may be necessary to bring to the attention
! OF the military committee of the senate
and house the desirabilty of legislation for
the purpose of making infantry captains
mounted officers and for the establish
| ment of as many remount depots as may
| be necessary to furnish remounts for the
| army. Both of these measures are essential
| to the Improvement Of horsemanship in tho
! army. -
Writes to Both Chirmen.
THE WHITE HOUSE, WASHINGTON,
Jan. g. 1905 Sir: | transmit herewith a
report from the chief of staff which is
self explanatory
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 for
eign armies Furthermore, though all in
fantry captains in European armies are
mounted, an infantry officer in our ser
vice has little opportunity to practice rid
ing until he becomes a field officer.
The only practicable way in which we
can improve our military mounts is to pur-
sue the method adopted in foreign armies
/ in obtaining remounts. They purchase
young horses, send them to remount sta
tons where they are trained for about a
wear and finally assigned to the service.
we'll broken and trained for military use
This has proven to be cheaper In the end,
by making the horses last much longer III
/ / have Instructed the secretary of war
to take such steps as may be necessary 10
bring to the attention of your committee
the desirability of legislation for mounting
infantry captains and for the establish
ment me 3f peo15e ePessm m bof houses Of
congress will give favorable consideration
! to these two measures which are essental
| to improving the horsemanship in our
army, and in raising the standard OF etticl-
ency throughout the service. Slhcerey
'ou' eSigned) THEODORE ROOSEVELT
Chairman committee on military affairs
house Of representatives.
General BELL Makes Statement.
WAR PEPARTMEN,T,; ,,S,E 0EEICE ,EHI ,,oIt OF
29.-Ny Dear Mr.. President: l have the
honor to acknowledge the receipt OF your
note of September 2s, in which you say;
my recent order requiring test of the
riding ability of the field officers OF our
army has brought forth a number OF press
comments apparently inspired by me I'M I'M
preston that such a test was something
extraordinary or unheard of. | think the
requirements in this line in foreign armies
cannot be very genera.y known.
Won't you be kind enough to prepare
for me- at your earliest convenience, re-
port showing how our own requirements
the armies of Europe? ! would be glad II
you could get photographs showing what
is done I'm actual tests of the horsemanshlp
of field officers in foreign armies.
The general rule prevailing In european
armies requires all mounted Officers or every
grade to keep both themselves and mounts
in fit condition for war The French
German Austrian and Italian armies
all maintain military schools and Institutes
uncluding schools of equitaton) for the
instruction of officers, and in all of them,
as a rule, student officers are instructed
in riding and horsemanship. Their condi-
tions of service are so different from ours,
and their organization and system or train
ing such, that the daily work of nearly all
mounted officers affords ample opportunity
for practical tests in Eorsemanship. The
European idea appears TO be that daily
service is daily examination, that as an
officer is constantly under the orders and
observation of his superiors a special test
would be superfluous for his efficiency
report, showing the opinion OF his superioIa
as to his military capacity and aptitude
IN general, and horsemanship in particular
completely states the case. Division, bri-
gade regimental and battalion command
ers are all present at drills, each observing
the performance of their respective sub
| ordinates, reports are required of all
commanders each year upon the efficiency
OF subordinates in all respects. Division
commanders, whose reports upon an officer
} largely determine the views of the WaI
department as 10 his merits, generally base
their opinions upon their own impressions
| supplemented by those Of brigade, regi
mental and other commanding officers
The great maneuvers are the practical
testing fields of all officers Efficiency re-
. ports are usually made after the maneu-
} Vcrs each year. Should a division con
mander report a field officer deficient IT
I horsemanship at any time he Is either as
signed 10 some kind Of duty not requiring
physical activity-practically shelved-ol
becomes subject to transfer to the retired
; list without any further examination oi
tests.
In our own army We annually make eff
cheney reports on all officers Except gen
erals), but It is impossible to establish con
dtions OF service such exist in the larg'
standing armies OF Europe, or to apply
E their methods under our law.
Cross-cOuntTy riding to hounds is common
Z in all European armies, and all mounted
officers participate. In at least two Eu
ropean armies Cthose of Germany anC
. France) special courses of training in equi
tation and horesmanship have been estab
lished for field officers, with a view e
keeping them under observation sufficentl!
E long TO test and select them for promotion
i to active commands.
q In the French army there are no eXami
nations for promotion whatever, In tn,
Italian army a portion OF the captains onl'
are examined but in both OF these armie
) ample facilities and opportunities exist 70
efficiency of officers at all times As
rule the degree Of efficiency In riding AM
. horsemaRship Of officers is as well know
70 everybody as their personality, and at al
inspections and maneuVers officers deticien
in riding are reported. In the French. Ger
man and American armies only lieutenant
OF foot troops of the line are not require,
to ride, as all captains are mounte.
! officers.
To come now TO a few particulars as 4
tests Of hOrsemanship which actually occu
in European armies, the following dat
has been found In reports made by oh
servers from our army relating 10 worl
which came under their own observation:
FRANCE.
Al the French Cavalry school at Saumu
4 a course in aunit gfiOn exists for field off