The Washington herald., 1910-08-31
Battles of the Blue and Red.

The period Of the joint army and militia
maneuvers is approaching termination.
We shall shortly be in possession OF the
reports Of the observers, regular and
national guard. who have opinions 10
express and suggestions 10 make. There
will undoubtedly be the usual assortment
OF brilliant thoughts and original dis
coveries and a mass Of recommendations
Of changes which are regarded as essen
tial in the task Of preparing an armed
force for war. In the comments which have
come from the various camps so far this
year there is observed the same curious
confusion over the results of the exer-
cises. There have been at nearly all of
the camps a red and a blue" army.
wasing gratifyingly unsanguinary war
fare under the eyes Of tho umpires
We have had the same percentage Of
contradictions Of those expert views and
protests against the decision. It has been
extremely difficult TO determine Just when
a command was really out OF the battle
The participants refused sometimes TO
abide by the ruling which exterminated
them as a factor. and have gone bHtheIy
on to subsequent victorious adventure
which under the umpire's decision would
have made II out OF the question for
them to have achieved. 1t Is easy enough
to see how the results. so far as they
hear oo r,fli-orv- o,7,.ov+,ro N. a. -
a days maneuvering. might be a sad
muddle with vanquished and utterly
routed command. ignorant OF its theo-
retical elimination and determined in its
refusal TO suffer that elimination, gaining
the telling stroke. It would require an
adept in the art of war to do the sub
traction necessary 20 find out Just who
did anything. il This and that were 10 be
considered in or out. But probably those
are questions Of minor importance. the
benefit being derived from the movement
Of the troops and the experience Of life
in the field under conditions something
like those OF actual wartime.
1t is OF decided advantage to the mill
tary establishment-regular and militia
that the days Of the sham battle" have
passed, and that the merely spectacular
is studlOusly avoided. The element OF the
picnic In the enCdmpments is less and
less, and this IS a good and hopeful
sign Of progress IN the work Of preparing
for war. There may be here and there a
hint of the former reverence for the pic
torial, but there Is enough of the other
TO testify to the zeal Of citizen soldiery
when 1t has the opportunity and is di-
rected by competent guides along practi-
cal lines Of activity. There was nothing
20 criticise, for instance. in the action of
the troops at Gettysburg when. rushing
madly upon a distant foe. they crossed a
public road. where some thrifty and en-
terprising hucksters had strategically
edibles and refreshing beverages. The
command broke for the pie carts and the
soft-drink wagons and bought out the
now terrified merchants. After which re-
galement. in sublime Indifference to the
surgeons admonitions and the existence
Of emergency and haversac6 rations, the
troopers took up the pursuit of the en-
envy. Perhaps some cold-blOOded umpire
decided that the stop under the approved
| conditions of real war would have been
fatal, but Of that the official record
makes. as yet. no disclosure. It is GER
tain that the red or the blue" army.
whichever It was. would have gone glo-
riously TO any fate allotted by the ex-
pert and with full '1nnards." If not out
wardly laden with the spells of war.