Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1908-02-05
TO BETTER RIDING
PICTURES AS AN AID IN IMPRoV-
ING ARMY HORSEMANSHtP.
president Will Show Congress Superb
GRITTY Of European Military Men
Gen. Bell Praises the
French Cavalry.

Washington.-Thi photographs
from life, illustrative of hair-raising
exploits in horsemanship, form the
unique exhibit sent to congress by di-
reaction of the president, to accompany
accommodation from himself and
the chief Of staff for the betterment
OF army riding. These pictures are
fntended to show how far ahead of
American military men are European
cofficeY8 in the art of equation.
They constitute asremarkable series.
One picture represents an Italia2 JQT
alryman riding over a 20-foot perpen-
cjicular cliff, the photograph being
taken in series. There are pictures
of German student officers apparently
teaping from hill to hill, of fat majors
and lieutenant colonies of the same
Nationality wallowing through boys
And jumping over hedges, French OBJ
Stacle riding, and the famous drag
hunt of the German army.
The official correspondence with
these pictures consists of a letter from
the president to the secretary Of war,
December 3, last, requesting him to
secure legislation to make infantry
captains mounted officers and estab-
fish remount depots, saying both of
these measures are essential to the
Improvement of Workmanship in the
army
Another letter from the president
A. a1,os, % 1. -
tee on military affairs transmits a re-
port from Maj. Gen Bell, chief of staff !
explaining the photographs. The pres
ident says:
THE field officers of our army can
mot Ge held exclusively responsible
fol- the poor riding which has been
frequently observed among them. The
duality of our horses does not equal
that of mounts used in foreign
armies.
Gen Bells report shows that the
rlle in Europe is that all mounted
ofncers of every grade shall keep
themselves and their mounts in fit
condition for instant war, and most
t6 them maintain schools where stu
Dent officers are constantly under in
6fTuction in horsemanship.
s The annual maneuvers also afford
practical testing fields of all officers,
lind any officer deficient in horseman-
snip at any time is either assigned to
hlme kind of duty not requiring phys
tcal activity-practically shelved-or
becomes subject to retirement without
fKrther examination.
Gen. Bell praises the French caval-
II. All officers of cavalry take a two
months course in equitation and in
endurance whenever they become
majors and lieutenant colonies, at ages
varying from 35 to IS years, and
weights ranging from 1873 to ESQ
hounds. One French test last year
consisted of one day of school work,
one day for march approximating As
miles at an average speed of eight
miles an hour, one two-mile steeple-
chase, and one days obstacle jumping
In Germany it is common thing to
call goodly number of officers of the
rank of captain and higher from the
arsny for deficiency in riding or endur-
ance in the saddle.
The hardest German test is drag
hunt lasting six weeks, three hunts a
week, beginning with a gallop of from
i've to six kilometers Ga little over
n half mile each), and working up
10 30.
In Italy every mounted officer y re-
duired to mount every day, from the
minister of war to the junior subaltern,
~ part OF his official duty.