New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-03-09
GREAT WAR MACHINE
WORKS At HIGH SPEED
Mobilization Of Troops in Texas
Shows No Lack OF Pre-
paredness.
ARMY OFFICIALS PLEASED
Condition of Affairs Shows Great
Contrast with That at Begin
ming of Spanish War-Credit
Given to General Staff.
ARMY OFFICIALS PLEASED

Washington. March S.-The officers
who set the machinery going for the
great gathering Of United States troops
and warships from end 10 end of the
Mexican frontier to-day drew their first
long breath in thirty-six hours and sat
back in their chairs I'm the War and
Navy departments to watch the thing
work" From all directions trains are
carrying soldiers. horses, field guns and
ammunition toward the places Of rem
devious.
Old Washingtonians to-day compared
the conditions prevailing at the War and
Navy departments with the turmoil and
excitement which characterized the early
day of the Spanish American War.
Thirty-six hours after the determination
was reached to mobilize a whole division
IN TeXas the officials were sitting tran
quilly al their desks watching with
nifcent machinery tha. had been so
carefully built up to respond TO just
such an emergency as the present The
Secretary Of War was busy closing up
some important matters Of civil admin
istration preparatory to leaving Wash
ington for several days. Nothing OF a
military nature interfered with his de-
signs, and he was able to start late in
the day for Atlanta.
Major General Wood, the chief Of
staff, came into town from his home at
Fort Myer early in the day, and was
soon busy with reports from his aids
and other members Of the General STAFF
showing what progress was being made
In carrying out the plans for mobiliza-
ton OF the troops. These appeared to
have been laid with perfection, and with
the execution OF sending orders TO GER
tain companies to take the place Of
Others whose withdrawal TO Texas had
left some of the military posts without
proper caretakers, there was little to be
done.
Major General Carter. who is TO COM
mand the army division i'm Texas. was
looking after some personal correspond
ence and making sure that his favorite
horse would he suitably cared for on the
long railroad trip to Texas.
Ouartermaster Generals Great Task.
Nowhere was the superiority of the
new state of affairs over those that eX-
listed before the Spanish war made more
manifest than in the quartcrnIaster's de-
uartmcnt. General Aeshirc, with his
DEPUTIES. was engaged i'm hcrculean
task. He was moving a body of soldiers
across the country more numerous than
the entire force which was gathered at
TAMPA. Fla. to form the American army
of occupation of Cuba in 1898. yet there
was no evidence TO the casual observer
that ANYTHING more than the mere rou-
tine OF the quarermaster's department
was in progress. The troops movement
Was proceeding with absolute accuracy.
and up To the close of business to-day
not one telegram had been received by
the ouartermaster general TO complain
that anything was missing essential 20
the comfort Of the troops or the animals
on the road.
There was good reason for this, be-
cause. as the records of the quartermas-
tor's department show, every detail OF
the movement had been worked out with
the greatest perfection long IN advance.
ON the desk of General AleShre and in
the hands of hi, aids we're typewriter
statements showing the exact method Of
sending troops and supplies from every
rart of the United States to san An
tonic Tex. Every particle of informa
tion that might Ice needed by the depart
mon, nss included. The trunk lines OF
railroads. the small feeding lines. the
water routes. the number OF sleeping
cars and fiat aud box ears and other
vehicles available We're carefully cata-
loeued a. was an exact record of tho
,,,unb.r of men and animals and the
tons of supplies that could be handled
bv each carrier For instance. IT was
shawn that there were four separate
lines of railway into san Antonio and
the number Of warehouses. with the ex-
act capaclty Of each. at Fort Sam Hous-
ton was indicated.
IL was not asserted that all of these
Continued on second PAGE.