The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-08-10
Southwestern ConnecticutScene
of Stupendous Manoeuvres
CAMPAIGN STARTED TO-DAY
Point Is to See if the "Blue" Army Can
Prevent invading "Red" Army from
Crossing New England Line Into
New York State

Maneuvre Headquarters, Stratford
Conn, Aug. l0.-An area of southwest
ern Connecticut of $50 square miles in
extent is to-day Transmitted from the
scenes Of peace to the pageantry OF war
Regiments of infantry, troops of cavalry
batteries of artillery, field trains, wagons
auto trucks, ambulances and hospital
| equipment are detraining at strategic
points for the divisional action betweea
the Reds" and the Blues" passing to
various camps and preparing for the
opening movements of the nine days
Connecticut maneuvre campaign.
| Sixty-tlve special trains have criss-
crossed the state to distribute the thou
sands OF men in khaki who are to receive
training in the art of war among pic
turesque hills of the old Constitution
state
The campaign which began to-day and
at o'clock tonight will have reached
the real point of a state of war is ex-
pected to be one of the most important
ever held in the East. The number of
men actually engaged will exceed 10000.
In the general scheme war has been
waging for some time. II is Red"
army of foreigners that has been press
ing on to capture New York The Amer
leans have been forced back slowly but
surely and after stubborn resistance
the "Blues" have lost New Haven anil
Waterbury on line running north and
south, and while rear guard of two reg
iments Of infantry are fighting the pat
riots are rushing provisional division
to their assistance The advance of the
Reds" is that of a division, but the
main army, 100000 strong, in theory, is
coming up as support.
The provisional regiment OF the
"Blues," however, must fight, and fight
hard in western Connecticut to give the
government time to rush its regulars to
the aid of New York. The divisional de-
tense is not only to check the direct ad-
vance by the sound shore roads to New
York, but to prevent wide flanking
movement towards the Massachusetts
line, which If successful would sweep
down the valley Of the Hudson and over.
run the great watershed of the city.
The problem TO be worked out in the
next week is whether the forces of the
"Blues" can be SO mannuYred as to stop
the advance of the Reds" before the
New York state line is reached. Never
before since these war games have been
played jointly by the regular army and
the national guard has a region been
selected in which both defensive and an
campaign can be worked out
with such brilliant displays OF military
strategy. Within this region the entire
body of 10000 men can be almost en-
tirely lost and yet it will invade the
rights and trespass on home.
steads only to a trihing degree.
Battle Expected to Be Spectacle.
At o'clock tonight General Bliss will
have under his hands a gigantic ches q
board, upon which are Red" and blue
men of various values. From his head |
quarters tent from a. m. until p. m.
for a few days he will move these men
against each other. Then when he has
the ''Blues" and REDS in intricate po- |
sitions where false move of one color /
will mean disaster to a chessman of the |
other side, he will life his hand and let
his two subordinate commanders work |
out the game. Then will come three
days of hostilities, in which probably |
half million rounds of blank ammuni- /
tion vii be used
The battle is expected to be a specta
,le and tens of thousands of peaceful |
;itizens who have not been frightened by |
the war-like aspect of what has trans
pred will go to see the attempt of one
army to annihilate the other. In the
'arly stages of the movement, General
Bliss will play both sides of the game,
but in the battle movements the test of i
strategy and military handling will rest
With t'eneral Smith and Colonel Mills.