Los Angeles herald., 1910-09-19
Regulars and Arizona and New
Mexico Militia Start
War Trials Today
1000 MEN AT ATASCADERO
Quiet Sunday Followed by Shrap-
mel Practice and Ball
Cartridge Firing
ASSOCIATED Press)

CAMP ATAsCADERO, Sept. 49,
Sunday was quietly observed as a day
of rest, recreation and pleasure by the
5000 regulars and Arizona militia in
Camp Atascadero.
The only activity of the day was the
arrival of the national guard of. New
Mexico. A regiment of infantry, two
troops of cavalry and battery of
field artillery, commanded by Lient.
Col. w. c. Porterfield, comprise the
territorial force of New Mexico, which
reached here this morning on several
special trains, and marched to their
camp, a mile and a half distant.
Lieut.. Col. n. p. Foster of the
Thirtieth infantry has been appointed
inspector-i instructor to the New Mexi-
can troops.
Early in the morning the bugles
sounded church call" and a mass was
said in the Y. M c. A. tent by Father
Nevin of the old San Miguel mission,
which was attended by several hun
dred men and officers.
After that the day was given over
to rest and recreation, with a concert
in the evening by the bands of the
Eighth and Thirtieth cavalry.
Brigadier General Tasker H. Bliss
and his aide, Lieutenant Arthur Poll
lon, left on the evening train for San
Francisco, leaving Colonel Charles w.
Mason of the Eighth infantry in COM
mand of the forces in camp, Major W.
]. Wright assuming command of the
Eighth. General Bliss goes to San
Francisco to represent the army in
the reception to be given there TO
Prince Tsai Hsun. The commander
In chief expects to return to camp
Wednesday.
ACTUAL FIRING IS BEGUN
With the arrival today of the New
Mexico national guard, there are now
about 1000 troops in camp and the
joint maneuvers of the militia and reg
ulars will begin in earnest tomorrow.
Among the most interesting and
spectacular features of the maneuvers
will be shrapnel firing by the three
inch field guns, and attacks by COM
panies and battalions of infantry with
ball cartridges.
The artillery will give a demonstra-
tion of craftsmanship and the effects
of shrapnel by firing at range or
$500 yards at silhouette targets repre-
senting men in trenches and In kneel-
ing and standing positions. The guns
probably will be located behind some
high hill, shooting over it at the sill
houette targets two miles distant
The infantry also will make rushing
charges and do skirmish firing with
ball cartridges at a hostile force of
infantry represented by silhouette tar
gets of men lying down, kneeling and
standing up.
It is expected valuable lessons will
be learned by officers and men alike
from these practical demonstrations of
the effect of rifle and artillery fire in
war.
FIELD ATHLETICS PLANNED
An athletic field day has been
planned for October 1, midway in the
four weeks schedule of maneuvers.
The program will include fancy artil-
lery drilling on the plain west of the
camp; spectacular rescue races ana
charges by the cavalry, reel cart races
by the signal corps and many other
events in which the men of all branches
of the service will compete.
Lieutenant Hope, Eighth infantry, is
organizing baseball clubs in each regi-
ment, troop and battery, and a series
of games for silver cups offered as
prizes by the army and navy Y. M.
c. A. will be played.
One of the features of the camp is
an automobile kitchen" designed by
Captain Stopford Of the subsistence de-
partment. who has charge Of the cooks
and bakers school at the Preside,
branch of which is operating the field
bakeries here. The kitchen is built on
a powerful automobile truck and car
ries two cooks besides the chauffeur.
1t is designed to follow up troops in
the field and is equipped to feed 45O
men. The automobile kitchen" was
given a practical test on the march
from Monterey, when it was in con-
slant use. 1t is the first experiment of
the kind that has been made on the
Pacific coast and it's utility has been
demonstrated by Captain Stopford.