Evening star., 1909-08-20
ARTILLERY OF LITTLE USE
New England, He Says, Is a Cavalry
Country.
UDs DEFEATED GENERAL
No Large Maneuver Ever Cost So
Little-Expense Will Be
Uder 100000.


BOSTON. Mass. August o0.-Now that
the cruel war is over and the soldiers OF
the late armies of the Red and the Blue
are forgett. the fact that 1t was not
real slaughter. the mind of the mere CIV
ilian is turning to the lesson taught.
What would make defense for Boston
that would shut out real New England
| invasion?
| The question was submitted to Gen.
Leonard Wood as he sat In his tent
changing his saddle-worn clothing for the
trim uniform that goes with the armory
soldier rather than the man of service
| afield.
i can talk about that much more free
ly now" he said, than / could while
the war game was on. In the first place,
Massachusetts, need pay little attention
to the development of light artillery The
New England coast is no artillery coun-
try. In these maneuvers the artillery had
| hardly single position where 1t could
be Of any practicable use The country
Is perfect country for the invaders pur-
poses. He has natural screen before
him all the time. This Is in the timber
and underbrush. Nowhere could a de-
Tending commander feel out the strength
OF his opponent through the ordinary
methods. and for that reason a defending
army in Massachusetts should be equip
ped with the best signal service possible
TO secure.
"A balloon I'm the maneuver would have
been of great value. The Blue army
| suffered for lack OF 1t and for lack Of
proper equipment for speedy communi-
cation between its brigades.
Good Countl Cor Cavalry.
The New Englanu coast is cavalry
country. One reason cavalry is so valu-
| able is that the country is so wooded
that other means of locating and harass-
Ing an enemy are inefficient. I should
say the Massachusetts, National Guard
would do well to develop its signal serr-
Ice and strengthen its cavalry. although.
of course. this is a matter entirely in
| its own hands,
Asked directly what he thought Of
Gen. Pew's problem and his handling of
It. Gen. Wood said:
i Much credit is due him. His forces
made some splendid marches better
marches than the people generally un-
derstand. His column arrived at Han
over only four minutes behind that of
Gen. Bliss. The best parallel can think
or Tor Gen. Pew's position Is to compare
him to a man standing behind a carpet
on which his shadow shows. expecting
attack from, an enemy who can see the
| shadow. The enemy knows just where
| to strike, but 1t is next to impossible
for him to anticipate where the blow
will come"
The war game of 1909 has been a great
success from the standDoint OF getting
the old officers of the war college up on
their toes with enthusiasm. To see
artillery wheeling out of column into a
charge, dashing to a hill crest. unlimber-
ing and sending out its roar upon the
enemy while its unlimbered caissons
! come tearing back out of the danger
zone Is sight that can never fail to
| stir.
Certainly Was Warlike.
And comments to the effect that moth
ing in real battle was any more war
like were the run of the day after
the final show of musketry noise. It is
the hope of Gen. Wood that once a
year some part of the country will be
invaded as was done this week.
What good is a maneuver,' said Gen.
Wood, where all the troops engaged
know every foot of the country and
| march out each morning from establ sh-
| ed camps to take positions perfectly well
known to them? In this case neither
commander knew his territory. Each
had to study II out from available maps:
| and by the way, the available maps are
nothing to what the Massachusetts mill
tary authorities should possess-to know
such important items as the location of
timbr stands as good battle sites. The
two commanders faced each other under
conditions as near to real warfare as
could be produced In times of peace. It
was the first maneuvers / have known
that seemed to accomplish the real ends
OF maneuvers-to give practice in the
problems of war"
The matter of the $JOOOOo which the
war game is reported to have cost was
mentioned to Gen. Wood as an item that
might affect future repetitions
That is a gross exaggeration,' he said.
'There never was a maneuver large
scale that cost anything like so small an
q lntrnf n hiS IA chal
more than fraction of $4,000 to pay
for this maneuver.. To be exact, our
whole appropriation Is 100000 and we
shall settle all our bills within that
amount.
Cost Comparatively Low.
I'm some maneuver camps the railroad
fare alone has exceeded the whole cost
of this maneuver Up to the present time
the total expense for damages from both
armies is only $1,000 For purposes of
economy. the troops are moving back to
their stations by water instead of by
rail, and feel confident that the amount
of money expended this year can accom-
plish results fully as satisfactory almost
anywhere along the seaboard.''
The problem of Bliss versus Pew has
started every one to thinking and there
are score and one ways already devel-
oped that would have succeeded in the
minds of their Inventors. They criticise
Gen. Bliss for sacrificing his first brigade
to save his other two at the Bryantsville
fight. and think he could have ipped
away by roads. east of the line of lakes
on his right. which would have saved him
all the lighting on his left flank on the
way to Hanover Four Corners.
The embarlxation OF the troops engaged
In the maneuvers for their home stations
is occurring this afternoon In South
Boston. Permission was given all who
wished TO visit Boston The New YORK
troops are to be transferred at Fall River
to the Pilgrim and the Puritan. which
will carry them back to the Battery. The
|Connecticut regiments win be landed at
New Haven. The Washington brigade
win not go home for several days.
In sipte OF the drenching rain. the hos
pitfalls remained almost empty 90 the end:
Intestinal troubles were rarely heard OF
and there was not q case put on record
where soldier was found guilty OF loot
ing or destruction OF property. The good
conduct of the troops on and on duty was
one of the maneuvers' features.
.'Get all the cavalry" was the comment
of Mai. Herbert Slocum. United States
Army. just returned from Cubk. That