Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-08
WOOD MEETS CRITICS
Defends the War ManeuverS
in Massachusetts.
MIMIC BATTLE OF VALUE
Statement by Department Official
Declared to Be False.
NOT MUCH HARDSHIP, HE SAYS
Amount Of Sickness During the
Campaign He Regards as
Extremely SMALL
NOT MUCH HARDSHIP, HE SAYS

NEW YORK. October s.-Mai. Gen.
Leonard Wood. commanding the Depart
ment of the East. who was the chief UNI
pire Of the joint maneuvers Eeld in
Massachusetts this summer, answered
yesterday an article from Washington.
with reference to those maneuvers. in
which certain critics of the mimic cam
paign said the War Department was con-
vince6 that the Boston campaign was too
hard on the miitiamen and that another
sich experiment was, at least, a long way
off
Until yesterday Gen. Wood had taken
20 notice of these criticisms of the ma
aeuvers His report has not been for
warded to the War Department. so what
ever information may have been received
in Washington is unofficial. In the entire
Red army Ghe invading force under Brig.
Gen. Tasker H. Blssl it was pointed out
yesterday. only fifty-four cases of inca
pacitation were reported In the campaign,
and most Of these were insignificant. Sew
enteen of these Interpretations existed be-
fore the. maneuvers began and cannot
therefore be charged up to the experiences
the soldiers had while on service.
List Of Interpretations.
Here is the list:
Foot abrastons. IA
Fodt troubles existing before maneuvers ... 4
Injuries during maneuvers. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 6
fNnauSuOn =
Muscular rheumatism. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
STOMACH trouble +
Acute bronchitis. 3
Not due to maneuvers IL
Doubtful as TO cause ....-.-.....s ........ =
THE statement" said Gen. Wood
which purports to emanate from some
one connected with the War Department
to the effect that the great amount of
sickness and hardship experienced by
troops in the recent maneuvers would
prevent any further repetition of the ma
neuvers. was. in all in which it relates
to the existence of excessive sickness and
hardship during the maneuvers, wholly
false. There was no unusual hardship
during the maneuvers, and the amount of
sickness was extremely small-in fact, so
small as to be insignificant. The troops
and Offices engaged in the maneuvers
were keenly interested, and no COM
plants were made to me during the ma
neuvers, although / was present on the
field constantly. nor were any complaints
made to officers of my staff
Officers Quoted.
There was a general expression of sat
isfaction in the work and a desire for its
repetition.
Gen. Pew. commanding the entire Blue
division, says this:
THE health Of the men during the week.
under unusually severe weather condi-
lions. was excellent. In the entire divi-
sion there were under one hundred cases
treated, and these were mostly minor in
juries, sore feet, ETC..
The chief surgeon of the Connecticut
brigade. Red army. Maj. McCook, says:
There was almost no sickness and few
accidents, and what we had, as rule,
amounted to little
Full reports have not yet been re-
ceived from the New York and District
of Columbia brigades, but reports made
TO me by their commanders indicate that
there was surprisingly small amount
of sickness. there was no unusual amount
of hardship, and that the men are anX
iouS to repeat the experience of this year,
and the statement as published creates
a false and erroneous impression in the
public mind.
II observed the excellent health of the
men myself. / was around the lines at
least once day. and l consider 1T re-
tnarkatt,. The regular army officers
had many fears for the health of the mi
litiamen at the opening of the campaign,
and when the two days of cold rain set
in our fears increased l considered
the showing remarkable
Lessons Invaluable.
ION the other hand, the lessons learned
were Invaluable. One of them is that we
haven't enough regulars or militnamen
ready for mobilization to defend a city
against such an attack as was made
against Boston. The other is that it builds
UP the spirit of cooperation between the
regular army and the National Guard
1T would be distinct setback to the
preparation of this country for war;" said
Col Heistand, adjutant general of the
Department of the East, Ito abandon
maneuvers of the character OF those in
Massachusetts this year. If soldiers do
not take care OF themselves there Is no
better way of bringing TO the attention of
the people OF the country that it is nee
essary TO a soldiers health and efficiency
for him to have experience, though I am
unwilling to admit that there was any
great amount of discomfort or any real
hardships suffered in the recent ma
neuverS.