Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-06-25
BEEF WAS TAINTED
New York Guard Officers
Complain of Maneuvers.
PUT BLAME ON REGULARS
Declare Men Were Subjected to I'm.
necessary Hardships.
GIVEN TOO MUCH MARCHING
Ambulances Not Provided for Men
Forced by WEAKNESS to Drop
Out-Want Investigation.
PUT BLAME ON REGULARS
GIVEN TOO MUCH MARCHING

NEW YORK. June 25.--Lieut. Col. Will
lard G. Fisk of the eth Regiment, \. e..
y. Y, and Col. John II. Foote of the
18th Regiment have signed official re-
ports condemning the conduct of the
maneuvers held in Massachusetts last
summer under the command of Maj. Gen.
Leonard Wood L. s. A. The issue Of
rations. transportation. and other de-
| tails for which the officers of the army
were responsible. comes in for criticism.
These reports have just been made
public, and officers who have read them
| express the hope that some New York
congressman may demand a COMPRESSION
al investigation for the benefit OF future
maneuvers.
Beef Ration Was Poor.
Lieut. Col. F-iske had command of the
eth during the maneuyers. Col. APP
pleton acting as a brigade commander.
In his report he says:
The rations and their issue were far
from satisfactory. and seemed to have
been arranged without consideration for
the nature of the service. The fresh
meat ration (beef) was poor in quality,
and the carcass light in weight. There
were but few issues of fresh meat, and
| it was delivered frozen so hard and at
such hours as to make 1t almost impos-
sible to use it in the limited time at the
disposal Of the cooks. The bacon was
relished by ALL but 1t was only issued
in the haversa -k ration. An extra supply
was issued by the regiment at its own
expense.
Canned corned beef was issued, and at
least one-third of the cans were tainted.
Three times much hard bread was is
| sued as could be used; the quality was
excellent. The jam was so small in guam
tity as to be ridiculous: the condensed
milk was not half enough. and the coffee
was poor in quality The issue of dried
beans was practically useless. as there
was seldom sufficient time to prepare
them. If canned baked beans had been
substituted they would have been appre-
GATED The men had breakfast at 4, D
or a m, and the next meal could not
be ser I'D until or pm.
Transportation a Failure.
I'VE were informed that travel ration
would be issued on the transport on the
return journey. None was furnished, and
issued an order authorizing the expen-
diture by each man of % cents for each
of three meals, in lieu OF the issue of
rations.
The attempt was made by the United
States quartermasters department to de-
penn upon UlTeU tTdHSpOT lTOIN Tie
locality. 1t was a fat failure. No escort
wagons were furnished; instead. We were
assigned four wagons of various design
and capacity, with teams incapable of
doing the work required.
There was no adequate supply train.
The commissary more than once sat for
hours waiting for the promised supply
train by the roadside with his rations. and
then brought his rations forward with
transportation privately hired. After the
NJ Sova djQfo MT
from their base it was impossible for
the regimental train to also act as supply
train.
mo ambulance was furnished, and the
medical officers were without transporta-
ton for the sick or exhausted until the
middle of the week. when a makeshift
wagon was furnished. The ammunition
carts consisted of light four-wheeled
taken over heavy roads only by the as
sistance Of the men; one broke down en-
tirely.
Unnecessary Hardships.
THE exercises were disappointing, in
that they furnished little or no oppor-
tunity for officers or non-commissioned
officers to put into practice their theo-
retical knowledge Of patroling. advance
and rear guard, outpost and the general
duties of security and information.
About 9S per cent of the work was
marching, making and breaking camp,
and about . per cent advance guard and
contact with the enemy. The hours of
exercise were too long. When in close
contact with the enemy 1t necessitated a
start at am. the men had to be up at
3. and when the exercises continued to
the end Of the period 1t was pm. or
later when they were in camp. TO ma
neuver green or unseasoned troops con-
tinuously for six or seven days is an I'M
necessary hardship
Lieut.. Col. Fisk states that ponchos are
almost useless to protect against rain
and are of such poor quality that they
tear and the rubber peels of. At the
end of thirty days. he says, there would
not be one left fit for use.
The cloth-wrapped puttee Is so su-
rerior to the leather issued that it
seems strange. he says. they have
not been adopted for both officers and
men. He states that the present method
Of fastening the canteen to the cartridge
belt is faulty. and that when the cart
ridge belt is worn with full equipment 1t
is almost impossible for a man to get
cartridge clips from the pocket Of his
belt unaided except from the two pockets
in front
1.-The shelter tent poles he says. ARE
too easily broken. and in wet weather
they swell so 1t Is difIlcult to joint and
unjoint Them
Service of Little BENEFIT.
Col. John H. Foote, commanding the
14th Regiment. n. G. N. Y, in his
report of the maneuvers says, In part:
Service of this kind is. from my own
observation, OF little benefit to the en-
listed man. He was kept constantly on
the march without food in all kinds of
weather, which in my judgment was
unnecessary. Men whose feet became so
sore from long marching were compelled
to drop out OF the column and shift for
themselves, there being no ambulance
to take them to their regiment or Or
ganization.
I'm the long march made by the regi-
ment of eighteen miles in terrific rain
storm at least 100 men were seen lying
or struggling along the road, completely
exhausted. many of whom were unable
again to join their organizations.
This regiment was without a water
wagon after August Is. and was COM
PEELED to obtain water from wells or
from any source 1t could. l complained
Of this several times, but 1t did no good.
The regiment was put on board the
steamer Puritan for home without any
issue of rations except coffee. 1 am in
favor of field exercises, but in q more
modified form. / cannot see the neces-
sity of marching men who are not &C.
customed to such work long distances. /
believe il is a mistake to break camp In
a severe rainstOrm and march men eight