Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1913-12-12

tary consisted of Z generals of division
In active service, 40 generals of bril-
gade. SO brigadier generals, 753 COM
handing officers, 1856 other officers
and 26,63S ~privates. The army has
6,275 horses and 3,19S mules. In the
above the personnel of the navy, which
is small. is included. 1t has been
shown that the United States has Moth
ing to fear in a naval war. The in
fantry consists of thirty regiments, the
name regiment being used exclusive
~ for cavalry and artillery corps; a
regiment of sappers and miners, two
fixed companies, one stationed in the
northern and the other in the southern
district of Lower California, and an
auxiliary force stationed at Chilpancin-
go, state of Guerrero.
The cavalry consists of fourteen regi-
ments and an irregular auxiliary corps
stationed at Cholula. state of Puebla.
There are two regiments of horse
artillery, one regiment of light artil-
lery, one regiment of mountain artil-
lery and a company of machine guns.
The army also has a well equipped ar
tillery park, a fixed battery at Vera
Cruz and artillery sections at Acapul-
co, MazatIan and Tampico.
There are Immediately available for
service as a mobile army in Mexico
about 5000 men of all arms, not in
Guiding the 10000 coast artillery o
the soldiers now in the Philippines, Ha-
wall or the canal zone. 1t is calculat-
ed that this mobile army may be in
creased by the field artillery drawing
on the coast artillery and veterans of
other campaigns and by new recruits,
raising the strength to 10000 without
impairing the efficiency.
Troops Near Border Line.
For months regular troops have been
stationed near the border line-10,000
infantrymen at Texas City and Calves
ton under the command of Major Gen
eral William H. Carter. Brigadier Gen
eral Hugh L. Scott is at Ell Paso in
command of the border patrol, and in
the event of hostilities he will make
the first % General Scott has
fought along the border for years.
There were six regiments of cavalry
about $500 men-guarding the from
tier from Brownsville, Tex, to San
Diego, Cal. The Second and Third
cavalry were at Ell Paso, the Fifth and
Ninth in Arizona, the Thirteenth in
New Mexico and the Fourteenth from
opposite Nuevo Laredo to Maria, Tex.
There were In addition companies of
field artillery stationed at every point
near an important Mexican border
town. The in~fantrymen on border pa
troll belong to the central department,
which has its headquarters at Chica-
go, but General Scott and his men are
under the command of the southern
department, the head of which is
Brigadier General Tasker H. Bliss,
with headquarters at Fort Sam Hous-
ton, San Antonio, where was stationed
another large force of Inen.
General Carter has seen active serv-
ice In the Indian campaigns and in the
Philippines and has distinguished him
self on several occasions. He has serv-
ed on the general staff of the army and
has a thorough knowledge of the rou-
tine work of the desk man. at Wash
ington.
General Carriers abilities as a caval-
ry commander are expected to show
up strongly. Preliminary operations in
Mexico fall mostly on the cavalry, and.
in fact, throughout any trouble the
cavalry would play an important part
because of the nature of the country
and the guerrilla fighting character
istic of Mexico.
While in some quarters it is held
that it will not take us as long to whip
Mexico as 1t did in 1845. there are
those who say that a struggle at this
time would be more bitter and result
In heavier loss. We became embroil-
ed with Mexico in 1916 because of a
dispute in regard to the western bound
airy of Texas. The war lasted two
years and cost us $4,000 lives and q
monetary loss of $200.000,000. We
gained the then territories OF Texas
California and New Mexico.