El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-07-08
BLUFF COST 4
MILLION OR
MORE
Breaking of the Maneuver
Camp Brings Army Farce
to a Close.
BRIGADE REMAINS
FOR AN EMERGENCY

| military bluff which cost the taxpayer
of the United States more than a coo
million dollars will pass into history
within the next week and the maneuvel
hdivision concentrated at Fort Sam Hous
ton viii be thing of the past. Already
several of the regiments have departed
Flor their home stations and the maneuvel
camp is assuming a deserted appearance
Gen. Carter, commander of the division
is still here, but he will leave within 6
short time to assume his new duties.
The soldiers have been in camp neal
| Fort Sam Houston for four months and
their every action has given emphatic
! denial to the announcement of the pur-
pose of mobilization of troops at San
Antonio. During the four months in
Texas the division at San Antonio, as q
whole, participated in only two practice
marches each Of only 40 miles, from San
Antonio to Leon Springs and return
The soldiers stationed at Galveston made
one cross country hike" from Galveston
TO Houston and return. There were
some maneuvers of the seDarate brigades
but none OF a more extended nature
than are usually held at any post OF
concentration. There was nothing APP
preaching a general maneuver which
might have been of value to the army.
One Brigade to Remain.
To be in readiness for possible dis
orders during the October elections there
viii be kept intact here one brigade,
which it is believed will be sufficient to
meet any emergency. In addition there
will be the regular brigade stationed at
Fort Sam Houston This will make
IN 00n IL
border or in Mexico.
The three regiments which have been
broiling in the sun along the sand dunes
of the Rio Grande border have also been
recalled TO barracks. They came back q
sunburned, lean and disguised lot Of
soldiers, but in the prime of condition.
Their most intimate associates, outside
of themselves, had been prairie dogs and
Mexican burros for the past three months
and they were glad to welcome the COM
forts of civilization.
Cost a Million; Worth
Conservative estimates are that the
maneuvers cost more than a million
dollars. The question is whether or not
the army got value received for the out
put.
There is no doubt that the mobiliza-
ton demonstrated great weakness in the
ability to concentrate a number of sol
diers quickly and efficiently and gave
the officers as well as the traffic Off
Gals valuable experience along this line
There was also much valuable informa-
ton gained by the quartermaster and
the commissary departments, but
whether or not it was worth million
is the question.
Sanitary Efficiency.
The most marvellous display of eff
cheney, however, was in the medical and
sanitary departments. Nearly 10000
men were hurriedly concentrated at San
Antonio and over 1000 at Galveston.
They remained in temporary camps for
more than four months. During that
time, with the exception of mumps and
measles, there was nothing approaching
q contagious disease In the camp. The
measles and mumps were kept well under
control and only small percentage of
the men suffered with either.
The great scourge of camp life. where
men are concentrated in great numbers,
typhoid fever, was entirely absent This
was due in a large measure TO the sani-
tary precautions taken by the surgeons
and dispelled once for all the great fear
entertained in the attempt to mass men
in camp There was no dysentery.
This has been the cause of many deaths
in the mobilization of men in the past.
During one month the rainfall was
almost continual. Much of the maneuvef
camp was covered with water. The men
We're for the most part without bars.
Yet by the judicious use of oil few mos
quitoes appeared and there was no
malaral fever and practically no malaria
among the men
Physicians say that the health of both
the camp at Fort sam Houston and at
Galveston was better than ever known
IN he 1rrorid hxafora vrb loT<vo
number of men were modified so quick
~. 1t demonstrated very clearly the
great advances in sanitary hygiene
made by army men in the last few
wears. The death rate from typhoid.
dysentery and other causes in the con.
centTation camps during the Spanish
American war was so much greater that
there is no adequate comparison.
During the past month the heat and
dust has been terrific in the camp. Yet
there was not a sunstroke reported and
few prostrations from heat The men
were in excellent health and such hard
ships as they were forced to undergo
seemed to have no deleterious effect
upon them.
Distribution of Brigade.
The brigade which will remain, will
not be stationed in its entirety at the
maneuver camp. One regiment of in
1anCTV Will go 10 the mountains near
Kerrville and the Others will be stationed
at convenient points near San Antonio.
1t is probable that one regiment will
go to Leon Springs.
The army officers, who have been with
the maneuver division, state the ex-
perience at San Antonio shows clearly
the need as well as the value of con-
centrating the men in large numbers in
order that the general officers and Others
NAV gain experience in handling larger
bodies than mere regiments The
mobilization at San Antonio, they de-
clare. would be of vast value in case
the United States was called upon with.
in the next few years to hurriedly mus
ter its men for actual warfare. The
knotty problems of TRANSFORMATION, sup
plies and sanitation have been practically
solved and the officers have proved
themselves equal to meeting an emer.
pencV.