New-York tribune., 1910-06-25
CRITICISE THE MANGUVRES
National Guard Officers Point
Out Failures of Service.

Lieutenant Colonel Willard c. Fisk Of
the 7th Regiment, who was in command or
that organization in the Massachusetts
nannuyres last season, while Colonel Dam
iel Appleton was commanding a BRIGADE
and Colonel John H. Foote Of the lath
Regiment in official reports which have
just been made public for the first time,
point out the failure of the manoeuYres in
the important matters of food supply.
transportation. care of the sick, etc
It was the army officers who supplied all
the rations, also the transportation and
while there We're many complaints made at
the time unofficially the officers named
above are the only two who have offered
criticism over their signatures.
National guard officers were supposed to
be at fault for certain failures. but the
reports leave no room for doubt, IL is as
serted as to the responsibility for the al
legged shortcomings. The reports contain
the most scathing criticism of any ever
signed by officers of this state on ma
nnuVres, il is said.
Lieutenant Colonel Fisk. in his report,
says:
The rations and their issue were far
from satisfactory. and seemed to have been
arranged without consideration for the nat
ure of the service. The fresh meat ration
(beeD was poor in quality, and the carcass
light in weight. There were but few is
sues of fresh meat. and it was delivered
frozen so hard. ard at such hours, as to
make II almost impossible TO use it In the
limited time at the disposal of the cooks.
We were informed that d travel ration
would be issued on the transport on the re-
turn journey. None was furnished, and I
issued an order authorizing the expenditure
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 quartermaster department TO depend
on hired transportation from the locality.
IL was a fiat failure.
There was no adequate supply train.
No ambulance was furnished at any time,
and the medical officers were without
| transportation for the sick or exhausted
until the middle of the week, when a
nlakeshift wagon was furnished to them.
The exercises were disappointing, in that
they furnished little or no opportunity for
officers or non-commissioned officers to put
into practice their theoretical knowledge of
patroling. advance and rear guard. out
post and the general duties of security and
! information.''
N "S---- a. ! A0O's' commanding ti'O
18th Regiment, in his report of the ma
n9uvres, says:
Service of this Kind is from my own
personal observation. of little benefit 20 the
enlisted man. He was kept constantly on
the march, without food, in all kinds OF
| weather, which. in my judgment. was un-
necessary. Men whose feet became 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 organization. The regi-
ment was put on board the steamer Puri-
tan for home without any issue Of rations
! except coffee. [ am in favor OF field exer-
cises. but in more modified form. I can
not see the necessity of marching men long
distances who are not accustomed to such
work.