Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-22

In army circles over the propiem OK an
adequate supply Of army horses in the
United States. The officials Of the War
Department declare that cavalry and
light artillery mounted on ordinary draft
horses would be next 60 useless, yet they
cannot see where sufficient supply OF
lighter horses may be secured in case or
war. Two principal causes have contrib
uted to the big and growing shortage OF
horses suitable for army purposes. The
first of these Is the remarkable success
that has attended the efforts of the De-
partment Of Agriculture to get the farm
ers Of the country to raise draft horses.
the other is the automobile.
At the end of the civil war there were
almost no heavy draft horses in the
United States. Then followed an era of
education for the farmer. in which was
pointed out that he would find 1t to his
interest to raise draft stock rather than
lighter animals. The process Of educa-
ton was SLOW. but IT has been SO
sure that now the farmers of the country
are breeding draft horses almost exclu-
sfvely. They find such animals better
suited for farm work, and in the past
they have found a much more attractive
market for surplus horses of this kind
than for those of lighter weight
ing shortage in the number OF lighter
horses is the automobile. People who
used carriage horses decade ago use
the automobile now. Men who always
isfed with a touring car now. The re-
suit Is that the city demand for lighter
horses for carriage and saddle purposes
has fallen off, while the demand for draft
horses. in spite of the growing use of the
automobile truck. has continued to in
crease. The expansion of American in
dustry has been going forward even more
rapidly than the breeding Of draft horses
and the building Of auto trucks.
There is anther element in the horse
situation that occasions alarm to the
army officer who
Expectation of would see an ade-
GIL quate supply of mill
As"~'6 S'V~n' itary horses to meet
the demands of a big war. That is
the expectation Of nearly all of the coun-
try's racing stock. The prohibition OF
race track gambling is admitted by
most people to be right and proper, but
it has resulted in dozens of the best
sires in the country being shipped to
England and elsewhere. giving those
countries just that much advantage over
us in the question of a future supply
of army horses.
The Department Of Agriculture and the
War Department. have joined hands in
country to breed enough light horses to
meet the prospective. as we'll as the i'm
mediate. demands Of the United States
Army. 1t Is pointed out that the out
would require $4,000 light horses at
once. 1t is likewise pointed out that the
number of horses needed annually in the
case Of war would be very large.
During single year of the civil war
the federal government bought nearly
200, 900 horses. and the capture Of more
than 10000 was reported. This required
a daily supply of some 600 horses. Dur
ing eight months the cavalry of the
Army of the Potomac alone was twice
remounted, nearly 10000 horses being
required Under Gen. Phil Sheridan the
cavalry of the Army Of the Shenandoah
had to be remounted every four months.
1t is estimated that IL we had to fight a
war of such consequence as to require
$4,000 horses for officers, cavalry and
field artillery at one time, it would take
10000 q year to keep the supply up to
that standard.
The army officials admit that they do
not know where such a supply would
come from
No Source of Supply They point to
80 the fact that
1AnV"A w VanSAoAs' Great Britain
bought more than 100 1000 horses In the
United States for service in the Boer
war. and that even this demand went
long way toward causing the shortage
of horses of the army type which now
exists in the United States. Prior to
the Boer war England was content to
rely on the colonies and the United
States for it's army horses. but the les
sons Of that war were such that the
British have followed the lead of conti-
mental Europe. and are now spending
500, 600 a year in encouraging the breed
ing of army horses at home.
The plan which the Department of Agri-
culture and the War Department have
worked out to lend effective encourage
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