The Washington times., 1912-08-08
ARMIES MOBILIZE
FOR ATTACK upon
NEW YORK CITY
Reds and Blues Ready to
Begin Operations In
!, War Game.

NEW YORK, Aug. S-Under the ex-
pert. direction Of General Flower, of the
general staff of the United States army.
nearly 10000 troops today began to
demonstrate the possibilities of an army
descending upon New York, with its
millions upon millions of treasure, its
art wealth, and more spoiis of war than
any commander In history ever
dreamed of. Two opposing armies, the
Red and the Blue. will take part in the
tactical problem in which the main
question is, Are the great vaults and
treasure palaces of New York, its great
shipping, and it's use as base for op-
erations safe from foreign foe?"
And II is not a fanciful idea, by any
means. UP in Central Park, perched
high in rocks of the northwest corner,
stands a little stone house. 1t was one
Of chain erected by the citizens of
New York something like 100 years ago
TO meet an actual foreign foe.
Children from the neighboring fats
now play about the old house and their
elders pass 1t without knowing that 1t
is 2 danger signal hung by past ex-
periences for the guidance of the fu-
ture. But 1t Is by far the most i'm
portant consideration In connection with
the big war game, because 1t shows the
importance of the practice against Just
such a contingency as once faced New
York. and may face 1t again.
Troops Will Move Today.
The actual movement of the troops
begins today when National Guard regi-
ments from the New England States
started to take positions along the
Housantic river, in eastern Connecti-
cut.
The actual fighting begins Saturday.
The official title of the game that Is
being played is The Connecticut Ma
Bridgeport, and Gen. Tasker II. Bliss,
commanding the Department of the
East is the directing spirit of the play.
The game has two periods. The first
Is devoted to Instructions; the seco4i
to the actual attack and defense upon
New York.
Gen Gilbert L. Mills formerly superin-
tendent of West Point, is to command
the the. army ny that seeks to rsvage s,s. New New
the Department of Missouri, Is to see
that General Mills doesn't succeed.
In battle array, twenty-five miles long,
with aeroplanes humming over the
troops, elevated guns theoretically tear
ing the wings to bits and wireless
flashes. telling the commanders what
the enemy is doing, will all the pomp
and circumstances of war be seen
Wireless telephones, telegraph wires
and flags will be worked for communi-
cation, with the heliograph, the scien-
tifc evolution of the Apache indian
mirror, filling In the gaps.
Cavalry on the Way.
New York's cavalry from Manhattan
and Brooklyn got under way today for
the battle scene and the infantry reSi-
ments, which have been working In
their armories for the event, began
leaving by rail tomorrow morning. By
Saturday morning the entire New York
contingent will be on the way to tie
front. They will be divided between
the Red side, which Is trying to cap
ture New York, and by the Blue side,
which is trying to defend New York
city.
The sca,e of the operations will be
generally confined to a truncated tri
angle, whose lower apex Is cut off by
a twelve-mile line stretching between
stratford and New Haven. The base
Of the triangle, about thirty miles long.
reaches from Waterbury, where the
right wing of the advancing Red divi-
sion will be flung, to Danbury which
will be the western mobilization point
of the Blue defenders. Another side
of this triangle stretches some twenty
miles from Stratford to Danbury.
This theater of war comprises rough
ly $50 square miles, and is pronounced by
army experts to be excellently adapted
to war maneuVers. 1t includes a great
variety of rolling ground, intersperses
with hills and valleys. Several rivers
and their tributaries also add to tire
aS~It~ At~vxs H.