Evening star., 1914-08-23
CAVALRY STILL REMAINS
1.-THE EYES OF THE ARMY

nTHE present war has eonciusively
demonstrated how utterly mis-
taken are the military experts who
have prophesied that the cavalry has
become an entirely useless arm of mill
tary service and, within few years,
will become wholly obsolete" said an
army officer, who is not in the cav
airy branch of the service.
"Since the invention of the improved
long-range, rapid field guns. and.
more recently, since the invention OF
the aeroplane and dirigible balloon, we
have heard on all sides how the cav
airy could not possibly survive. AS a
fighting force. 1t was said. they could
not stand a moment against the mod
ern guns and. as for scouting and OBJ
tanning Information for the main bod
les Of infantry, why. one aeroplane. II
was boasted, could learn more in an
hour about the disposition Of the
enemy and the lay OF the land than a
division Of cavalry could learn in a
week
Now, although we have not COTTON
much detail from the campaign in Bel
gium, we have obtained ample to prove
conclusively that the cavalry is. II any
thing, more important branch of the
active service than ever before. While
the aeroplane is of much service in
certain forms of scouting and under
certain conditions. 1t has its limitations
and very many Of them. For in
stance. the aeroplane, in order TO sus-
tain itself in the air, must keep moving
at a speed Of at least thirty miles an
hour.
TT is clear hat man moving over
an unknown territory at such rate can
make only the most cursory and super
fetal examination--and the main thing
in getting information in war is de-
tail and exactness Furthermore. l
know from experience, it is very diff
ficuit. almost impossible. indeed for a
man in an aeroplane TO form any ac-
curate Judgment of the land below
That is. the relative position and height
OF hills and bluffs. and other factors
that go to make UP the country as d
whole. And 1t is not only in knowing
these facts in detail, but especially in
knowing them accurately that the
value of information in time of val
consists. Information that is inccr.
enemy.
And SO We gather FROM the dis
patches the Germans are mainly rely
ing. as OF old. upon an efficient cav
airy for obtaining their information
about the nature of the country into
position of the enemy. Their cavalry
advancing in small bur numerous
bodies, accurately plat and plan the
entire country. locating the number
villages and farmsteads. where the
wells are, and how manv. where pro-
visions and fodder can be obtained
in short, finding out everything that
the commanding general has to know
in order to advance safely and GER
tainly.
And, most of all, the Germans are
using their cavalry in that supreme OBJ
ject of all generals : concealEsent.
We read how 10000 cavalry are spread
try like an impenetrable screen. The
enemy may send their aeroplanes over
for hasty scout, but the informa ton
they obtain. is of no practical value:
the troops here today may be twenty
miles away tomorrow.
I'm short. the cavalry are fghting
today as they fought for a thousand
years-protecting the infantry against
surprise. locating the enemy and find
ing out all necessary information for
the commanding general
They are still and. think. will be
for many generations to come, the
eyes of the army y"
Col. John S. Mosby. who commanded a
body of southern cavalry throughout
the civil war, considers the saber use
less to cavalry
During the years that l commanded
an Independent body of cavalry, none
VI tnciH ever carried SaDef. he SAID.
4 considered 1t an obsolete weapon.
even then A pair of revolvers are more
than match for dozen sabers We
had small fear of an enemy that re-
lied upon these antiquated weapons"
Another Improvement suggested by
Col Mosby was in the way of foot
gear The present European cavalry
wear a heavy boot
] think there is room fo- vast i'm
provement in this respect" he said,
speaking of the European cavalry
boot. The only need of heavy, stiff
covering for the feet can come where
one is tramping over rough. wet or
frozen ground. Now the cavalaryman
has little or nc occasion for walking
certainly none when Oh duty or in
action. There is nothing more un-
comfortable to horseman than a
heavy, stin boot: Furthermore, il i'm
pedes his movements.
Il think the ideal covering. for the
cavalrymans foot would be "A light
flexible shoe that permitted rather free
movement and did not in any wise inn
pede the circulation. But conserve
tism is powerful force with mankind
1t is more potent argument with the
majority OF mankind that something
has been done in a certain way for a
thousand years than that it is the most
adVantageous way to do It, Hence.
the German cavalry will proba bly
continue to wear the heavy stiff boot"