The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-09-16
WHITE STEAMERS IN THE MASSA-
CHUSETTS MILITARY MANEUv-
August 81.

august Ok.
Not since the days Of King Philip
and his Narragansett warriors has Ply
ner of Massachusetts, been the scene
of so much excitement as it was last
week when the Blue Army, consisting
of the Massachusetts, Militia, contend
ed in bloodless battles with the Red
Army, composed of detachments from
the National Guard of New York, New
Jersey, Connecticut, and the District
Of Columbia. The movements of the
contending armies were spread over a
territory not less than thirty miles
square, and it is, therefore, not sur
prising that those whose duties requir-
ed that they be in touch with the do
ings in widely separated localities, re-
sorted to the motor car as means of
transportation. Foremost in this class
was General Leonard Wood, Command
er of the Department of the East, who
acted as chief umpire, and had super
vision over the maneuvers. AS we
would say in automobile parlance, he
was Chairman of the Contest Board.
General Wood used a White Steamer
throughout the week, and in it he visit
ed each day the encampment of each
regiment on either side, always accom-
panied either by members of his staff
or by the military attaches from the
legations at Washington. At the con-
clusion Of the maneuvers, General
Wood said that he had travelled an
average of $50 miles a day, that he
was more than pleased with the service
rendered, and that it was only through
the use of the automobile that he had
been able to keep fully in touch with
what was going on. This is surely a
significant statement coming from the
officer who is the ranking General of
the United States Army.
No less than five White Steamers
formed a part. of the. military equip
ment of the Blue Army. Three of
these cars were attached to the Head
quarters of BrigadierG General Pew.
Commander of the Blue Army, and
were used by him and his staff almost
continuously in carrying orders to his
widely scattered forces.
There is no doubt that, had it not
been for these cars, General Pew would
have made a less effective defense of
Boston than he did, for his troops were
spread out in thin line of defense
from the sea coast to the Taunton
River. During the first two or three
DAYS, all Of the camps were in touch
with General Pew's Headquarters by
means of telephone wires rugged by the
Signal Corps, but in the later days
Of the maneuvers, the Blue Army did
not have any time for such operations,
and General Pew relied entirely upon
his White Steamers to keep in touch
with his scattered forces, for be it re-
'membered, the rules of the game Great
ed the fiction that all ordinary means
of transportation and communication
were destroyed, and the armies were
thrown entirely upon their own re-
sources.
) Quite as much appreciated by the
Blue Army was the White Steam Am
,bulance, attached to the Division Head
quarters. and there was no "make-
believe' about the work of this car.
Although no bullets were flying about
to bring injuries to the eontending
armies, the Hospital Corps on each side
was kept busy. treating eases of heat
prostration and the ordinary ailments
to which flesh is heir. In the Blue
Army of 1000 men. such cases mani
tested themselves very frequently, and
it is not surprising that it was found
necessary to have two chauffeurs for the
automobile ambulance, as it was IN
practically constant service. As each
case of sickness or accident was re-