The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-03-16
ALL KEYED TO TOP
OF ANTIC|P ALTON
Officers and Priv ate S
Prepare for W az w lille
Talking Peace.
REACH LIMIT
OF EFFICIENCY
Process Of Recruiting Regiments
to War Strength Is Progressing
Slowly-Many Green Men
Are on Field and Equip
ment Has Not Ar
rived.

San Antonio Texas, March l5-Pre-
pairing for war and talking peace sums
up the situation in Fort Sam Houston
ana the provisional manoeuvre dlvi-
sion to-day. AS swiftly and as com
pletclN as the existing organization
OF the army and its relations with the
railroads permit recruits. additional
arms and ammunition are coming to
the San Antonio base.
Maior-General William II. Carter
talks suavcly about division and bril-
gade manocuvrcs, marches 10 Leon
Springs and cross country hikes -
Meantime every junior officer in the
ariny every old first sergeant every
private almost, IS keyed TO the top OF
anticipation, and those who have seen
both service and manocuvrcs say tina
as "inanoeuvres' the present opera
tons approximate preparations for
hostilieies more closely than was ever
the case before
Where Efficiency Ends.
With the opening OF divisional and
brigade headquarters. the incoming Of
recruits and the beginning OF the big
supply depot. the mobilization move
ment' has reached a point where It
has developed the line at which the
present army system forces efficiency
TO stop.
The first five or six days showed tha
In the units which existed actually as
Well as in theorS-the regiments and
the companies and the battalions tina
worked toGcther-the standard was
nigh. the lessons OF the Spanish Ameri-
can War were we'll learned. The com
mands that existed as commands UNI
der individual commanders were ready
to move and did move just as fast az
troop trains could be boarded and
forwarded by rail.
The regiments reached Fort San,
Houston In perfect trim. Their de.
training and establishment In location
was almost perfect. But there ef-
hc1ency stopped. The process Of re-
cruitinE to war strength, now going on
admittedly. is bringing problems dir
fcult TO solve. The recruits have nor
reached here equipped. nor were equip
ments here sufficient for them. The
cquimments existed, but the war or.
ganization as whole has not sched-
uled the arrival OF equipment and re-
cruits SO that delay would be avoided.
Formation Moves Slowly.
The actual Emancipation" of tho
brigade and divisional organizat ton az
ter the arrangements were made moves
SLOWLY. Most of the commands had
been on the ground two and three DAYS
before the unaccustomed functions of
brigade and division organizations be-
entirely discharged themselves as vet
II develops that there are brigade
commanders here who have never COM
manded brigade: there are lieuten-
ant-colonels who have never taken 81
field with command larger than a
company; there are colonies who have
never seen their regiments together as
whole for year at q time
That the territorial department sys-
a r init {t
the causes OF the chief evils is gen
orally agreed The dream of the army
OF divisional and brigade organization
Is practical fact. with large posts
from which as base the officers and
men can gain experience and prac-
tice In the common run OF activity In
regimcntal. brigade and division move
mcHt and exercise
Elaborate Posts Not Needed.
we arc are not hungry" say ON
GERS. FOR the elaborate posts tho
pretty parks. the long line Of expen.
siye houses and duties which make a
post commander the mayor of little
municipalities and OF the mon mera
workinen in city street cleaning and
park attendance departments.
Our past aiming throughout the
wars UP TO date made us expert de-
tachment and post lighters. rhe au-
\
best in the world. But that day Is
past.
We want now a chance 10 prepara
Tor the sort of lighting this country
VIII have II she ever faces first.rat a
power We want our colonies 10 have
moved with regiments In the field be-
fore they reached command; our brig
"ulers 10 nave moved with brigaacs
before they got their stars; our dyis-
n do 10,
field with divisions before the demands
Of actual authority were made mon
them"
Ihfs all sums up the views expressed
by almost every officer. and The Who'll,
command buzzes with discussion of thc
army problems. The officers are grim /.
~ IN earnest in their desire to attain
real fighting efficiency.
This mobilization movement has
shown in terms OF deeds and men VIVA
that suppressed report of the Secretary
or War would have shown in words
had Congress permitted It's publication"
Such is the terse way one comment tor
on the situation expressed himself.
Put Blame on Congress.
our efficiency Is Splendid" said an
other, Just as far as our organization
has permitted US TO possess efficiency.
Log rolling for congressional dis
trict expenditures on the part of ron
resentattves, rather than work for ma
tional military efficiency. has chara cter-
ICED CONGRESSES attentions to the army..
declared one civilian commentators.
The geographical balance OF patron
age. rather than the military necessi-
ties Of the nation, has marked the ma
tons military expenditures" said an
other.
Meantime 10000 troops are covering
the Mexican border, having been trans.
ported thousands Of miies at torrif,c
cost, JUS twenty days after the national
standardization prepared army appropri-