Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-10-26

Cultivated Fields Found an
Obstacle to Free Ma
neuvering

tCentinptt fren Iase =
would have been forced to keep to
the highways 10 q great extent, and
the rear guard action by the cavalry
would have been carried out in some
thing Of the way IN which II way
However, the Red cavalry would have
been able to make q much more ener-
eetic pursuit had the troopers been.
Allowed to cut fences and spread out
over cultivated fields. When the
Blue artillery opened on the Red
dependent cavalry az Kipapa Gulch,
for insfenee, Il would have been q
matter Of only q minute or so TO cut
the wire fence and lead the horses
under cover OF the shoulder of hill
But they had to remain In the road,
and the situation was thereby com
plicated.
Yesterdays Combat Confusing.
Yesterdays combat reconnaissance
BY the Reds of the Blues strong po-
sition on Halawa ridge was about the
most confusing and realistic OF
any action or the war. Hedged In by
cane fields on each side, the Reds had
10 advance along the roads, every foot
of which were known to the Blae.
leaders, who could train their guns:
IN anvance on certain points and then
wall fos tae proper mons1t y turn
them loose Every think was theoret
icafly fiik, or construct lively that, 20
that finally The hmpires themselves
hardly knew what rulings to make.
when dismonntea casalry IN an open
road Is theoretically Invisible il thes
cane, advancing against the fire or
five imaginary oompanies Of National
Guard and one actual company Of
cadets who are unable to fire owing
ito lack os Ammunition. the situation
takes on the aspect Of q Chinese
puzzle. u is even . question II con-
ditions Sc utterly dissimilar to actual
warfare point any lesson Of reai value
TO soldiers.
however, yesterdays situation was
the exception. II is a pity though i
that from the spectacular standpoint
Il was the principal one Of the week,
for the people who blocked the roads
in autos and rigs saw mimic warfare
from its least realistic side. Had
they seen either OF the engagements
at Schofield. OF the running fight of |
Thursday, they wcgld have been
treated 10 something Tar more inter |
esting to the average observer.
Presumably, also, the majority Of |
the Spectators 9esterday missed the
point of yesterdays problem. The.I
comment was heard al along the Incl
that the Reds hsd failed TO take thesI
blue position, and that the advance
on Honolulu Had been checked. AS q
matter OF fact. the Reds made no at
tempt to take Halawa ridge. Such an
operation. against a force &C equal
strength, would have been suicidal |
and without reason. The Red com
mander was merely reconnoitering In
force to develop the Blue position, so |
that the length and strength Of the |
line could be fully established when
the Theoretical brigade Of Red rein
forcements came Up ID the afternoon. |
or course, there being no more Red |
troops In actually, tie problem was
over when the bombs went on. The
Reds accomplished their mission yes
terday. and that is all that can be said |
about the result
7Iues lnnpregnable.
Owing to. the amount Of cultivated |
land, the Blues posil-on yesterday
was even more il1pfegnable than the
one taken by the Reds last Wednes-
day. Unless his orders had forced
him to. Colonel Wilder would surely
never have tried TO drive the .invad-
ers from that point OF vantage north
OF Schofield, and to have tried to as
sault Halawa hiH would have been
equally as hopeless for the Reds yes
terday.
There are al sorts of interesting
and amusing incidents connected
with q maReuTef campaign, and for
the next few weeks funny stories viii
be going the rounds at SchofeId. The
Theoretical Injuries received on the
field. designed to give practice to the
hospital corps, are perhaps as fertile
a field for hamof as any.
Yesterday, for instance, the umpires
were supplied with regularly printed /
tags. to fasten onto the men supposed
Il be wounded. These tags described
the nature OF the wound, and the nos.
pital men were supposed to dress f.ie
injury as they would on q real firing