The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-18
Carter Ordered to Prepare Army to March on
 Short Notice
SOLDIERS BELIEVE
 THEY ARE TO FIGHT
Many Officers Hope For War With Japan-Arrival of the Tacoma Causes Excitement-Militia
 Officers Report April 1

San Antonio, Tex, March 17.-Orders have been received here from Washing ton that General Carter's maneuver di vision shall hold itself in readiness to break camp and take the field as if for actual warfare within two hours The order when promulgated to the staff and gradually gossipped to the line, caused much comment for the par ticular reason that it did not come in the general maneuvel orders issued by General Garter today, but from the seat of government.
 Such an order means a blanket, 10 days rations, shelter tents, 200 rounds of ammunition, etc. Not man in the entire division thinks that they are here to drill. They await an expla- nation The order to be in readiness for operations in the field, while it might be a legitimate feature of ma ~euvers, is not taken in that sense. A large representation of the American press has been here since the arrival of the first detachment of soldiers. Since then they have talked with practical ly every officer in the division.
 Excepting the generals to whom long years have taught conservatism, everyone rejected the maneuver the ory, but could not explain where war was to be expected, according to unan- imous reports of the newspaper men. Want to Fight Japan
 It is regarded as a commentary on the military preparedness of the coun- try that many of the officers hope that Japan is the objective of the present preparations. There Is not wish for bloodshed but the wish for a lesson which will teach the American people, and through them heir representatives in Congress, that 90,000.00O Americans .are not given a national police numer- ically worthy of the name.
 The above is carefully assembled opinion obtained from officers of the greatest body of troops gathered to- gether since the war in Cuba. The hope that the war would be with Japan, 1t was explained, grows out of no i'll feeling toward that country, but be- cause that country would administer, | for some years at least, defeat and humiliation wffica. if anything, would bring this country to sense of its mil . itary deficiencies.
 One officer of prominence in conver ' sation today declared that he hoped Mexico and the United States would rot become embroiled.
 We could defeat Mexico and there
 
 tional vanity would be ticked. and the minimizing in Congress would have an- other object to point to, to show that we can depend on the volunteers In emer- gency. We can, after we have lost 75 per cent. teach the remaining 25 per cent how to fight. A stronger lesson is need- ed. Japan or Germany would serve. preferably the former, because of her geographical situation. They are quite capable of reducing us, with their per- feet preparedness, whenever ready. We have spent ten days in turmoil gathering a mere handful of men in Texas. I speak for the army unofficially. Ultimate ly we should triumph, but the ultimate cost would be appalling. It would pe cheaper. even in money, let alone lives. to treble our force, than to take such a lesson, considering the ensuent pension rolls alone.''
 Japanese Would Defeat Us
 ''I am not alone when l state that am sure of defeat should Japan attack us and I am not alone when I state that am willing to be one of the victims Of national blindness, when I say that I wish could be a sacrifice that the lesson may be learned
 Officers cannot be quoted for publica- tion where criticism of superiors is in- volved or to be inferred. But the man WnO lndue llt lOIc6oAh6 olatCihpht ieh , reputation which extends beyond the army. -
 The West Point class of 1904 held a reunion dinner tonight. Owing to the policy of small posts. which up to now has precluded general maneuvers, few of them had met since leaving college
 Washington, March. 17.-None of the or fcers of the various state inilitias who are to join the army in Texas for the purpose of receiving instructions in mili- tary maneuvers are to report to the ln- struction camps before April l. It was announced at the war department today that the adjutants general of the state militia will not be eligible to take part in the instructions and that none of the other officers will remain more than two weeks Each officer from the militia will be attached to an officer of correspond ing grade and from the same arm of the regular service. The war department is waiting to hear from General Carter, in charge of the maneuvers along the Mexican border, before deciding how many officers from the militia will be all lowed to attend at one time.
 Pennsylvania, with 422 acceptances of the war department invitation, today oc- cupies. first place as the state offering the largest number of it's national guardsmen to take part in the maneuvers.
 The total number of acceptances re- ceived by the department today reached ss27.