The Washington times., 1909-08-07
District Militiamen Plan to
Start for ManeuverS in
New England.
ELABORATE SCHEME
PREPARED FOR THEM
Two Armies Will Be the Reds and
Blues and Their Work Will
Test Coast DefenSes.

One week hence a state Of war viii
exist on the New England coast. Two
armies will face each other, both con
tending for supremacy and each intent
on mountaineering the other by all the
rules OF legal and honorable warfare.
and through the art Of naval disposi-
tons and tactical skill as trained COM
msnders know II.
Battles will be fought, men will fall.
cannons viii bristIe and roar from che
decks of warships. the modern Spring
fields in the hands Of khaki-clad men
will spit their missives at the enemy IN
front. horsemen viii dash hither and
thither. companies, battalions, and
whole regiments of painting eager, per-
spring men will march and counter
march across field and plain. orders to
fire and cease firing, TO charge and re
Treat to attack and defend win fly FROM
commander to mantle battle cry will
be everywhere. the battle viii be on.
Not That Kind of War.
It will be war-but not as General
Sherman once described It. Mimic war
fare. such as the New England coast
has never witnessed before, viii awaken
echoes from ancient Plymouth Rock TO
Long Island Sound. And in this mimic
warfare the citizen soldiery Of the Dis
trict. grown 10 be highly useful body,
finely Differed and perfectly equipped,
will be foremost on the firing line"
The District National Guard will. IN
these maneuvers-the most elaborate so
far undertaken - take its place along
with 5000 or 1000 other militiamen rep
1esenting the States Of New York. Con-
necticut and Rhode Island. They will
compose the Red, or attacking, army.
The defending army, whose members
will conspire with theoretical cannon
bali. rife bullet and bayonet TO humble
the Reds. VIII be known as the
Blues"
In the ranks OF the Blue" army viii
be the regular coast artillery in addi-
ton % the Massachusetts, State Militia.
IN all some 1000 able-bOdied men. They
will be offcered by West Pointers and
by able militia officers, the flower OF the
regular army and Of the State guards,
each one intent upon distinguishing him
self. for promotion turks in the wake Of
meritorious service.
Work For Defenders.
Those who know what makes the
test Of warfare. real or mimic, say that
the hardest task viii be with the de-
tenders in these coming maneuvers.
Not only is a defending army put at the
disadvantage OF being IN the dark as TO
the point Of attack, they point out. but
a greater obligation is placed on 7he
defenders in this case because they viii
be called on TO prove the efficiency Of
the Governments present system OF
coast defenses.
II the Red army. timing its attack TO
z dark night. brings its transports 70
anchor at some hidden spot along the
wave tossed New England shores ard
manages to land force enough to sur
Prise some coast OF haTbOr defense.
then the whole system by which Uncle
sam protects these coasts is likely 10
see q revolution. This. In brief, is one
Of the principal objects Of this sum
meTs extensive and expensive msueu-
vers on the New England coast-the
worth Of a chain of costly fortresses
stretching from coast 70 coast Is al
stake
But underlying this test Of the coast
dsfenses is a larger plan which aims al
Fae future defense of the nation
through the building up Of a thoroughly
trained, capably differed citizen sol
diery-a soldiery that VIII be equal and
responsive to any wartime emergency
that may arise.
Long Sought Solution.
The Federal and State governments
have long been seeking a solution Of