Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-21
CITY TO Be OBJECT
OF INVADING ARMY
Washington Must Face Attack
Some Time in July, 1t Is
Expected.
WAR Department PLANS
FOR JOINT MANEUVERS
Regular Troops and National Guard
to Participate-Similar Arrange
ments for West.

take place some time in July
The attack and defense of Washington
will be intrusted almost entirely to militia
troops. accidentally Stimulating actual war
conditions of the past Almost all regu-
lar infantry usually stationed at posts in
the east are now patrolling the border
Three sauadrons of cavalry from Win
chester. Va. will be the entire contribu-
ton of regular troops to the maneuvers
Of course. army officers will direct the
military operations.
Maj. Gen. Wood probably will be the
umpire as he will be in command of the
eastern department at the time of the
| maneuvers. In the meantime, the details
of the attack and defense of Washington
will be worked out by Brig. Gen. r. X.
Evans, in temporary command of the de-
partment with headquarters at Govern
ors Island, N. Y.
Part of Organized Militia.
The District Of Columbia Virginia,
Maryland, West Virginia, Delaware,
Pennsylvania and New Jersey will con-
tribute their organized militia to both the
attacking and defending armies. The
orders of the War Department and in
structions sent to the various adjutants
general of state troops, outlines the COM
position of both armies. While each state
and the District of Columbia will be ex-
pected to send its troops as near to the
demand made upon it as possible. it re-
mains to be seen just what force can be
assembled.
The District of Columbia is to contrib
ute to the red division or attacking
army, one battery of field artillery, its
main forces being reserved for the de-
ending army, a position they would nat
urally hold in case Washington was at
tackled by an enemy. Virginia also is to
contribute a battery of field artillery. A
field hospital and sanitary troops are to
come from Maryland.
Two brigades from Pennsylvania apd
brigade from New Jersey will form the
infantry contingent. Pennsylvania will
also provide squadron Of cavalry, two
companies of engineers and signal COM
pany. One squadron Of United States
Cavalry from Camp Winchester will rep
resent the regular army.
The Defending Army.
In the blue division" or defending
army. the infantry contingent will be
made up Of one brigade, consisting of
two regiments of the National Guard of
the District of Columbia, and one regi-
ment from West Virginia, brigade
from Maryland, a brigade of Virginia
ware The District of Columbia will
also contribute signal company.
New Jersey will send a squadron of
cavalry, a signal company and a field
hospital with sanitary troops. Mary
land will contribute a troop of cavalry.
Two batteries of field artillery will
come from Virginia The regulars will
consist of two squadrons Of cavalry
from Camp Winchester.
San Francisco is to be similarly sub
jected to attack. as told of in announce
ment by the War Department Of plans
regular troops and the National Guard.
Numerous training camps are to to es-
tablished throughout the country, as part
OF the military program of the year.
No definite date for the maneuvers has
been set. although it is tentatively de-
cided to begin the operations late in
July.
Increased efficiency is to be the object
of the maneuvers and camps. All spec
tacular exhibitions by troops are to be
eliminated. In orders sent forth from
the War Department to various adjutants
general Of state militia, directing pre-
parations for the event. special attention
was called to the intent of military in
struction.
Working Out Detailed Plans.
Maj. A. L. Parmerter, adjutant gen.
eral of the National Guard Of the Dis
trict of Columbia. does not expect that
these plans will be placed in the hands
of the officers of the various troops for
several weeks.
The maneuvers between Washington and
Baltimore will be conducted as nearly as
possible according to practice in war
Every appearance Of Offensive and de-
fensive operations will be maintained. The
q,
ures to be taken to resist attack of a pos
sible foreign enemy advancing On the
capital.
Infantry. cavalry and artillery will
maneuver through the wooded country OF
Maryland and along it's highways. The
aviation corps, it is expected, will be in
trusted with valuable scout duty The
naval militia, it Is understood, will be
given proper share of the work.
Plans for the West.
The maneuvers of the regular army and
militia of the Department of the West, it
was announced, will include a maneuver
campaign in the vicinity Of San Francisco.
to be participated in by the Californian
troops, and various state camps, the de-
tailed plans of which will be announced
later. The feature of the maneuvers will
be an attack and defense of the city Of
San Francisco, to include an advance
against the city.
The War Department yesterday in
strueted the commanding general of the
western department to make such dis
position for the organization Of the reg
uiar and militia troops available as will
make the problems most interesting"
Plans for the southern department leave
selection of camp sites to commanders.
There will be a Joint camp for the mill
tia of Texas. Oklahoma. Arkansas and
Louisiana at some central point. such as
TeXarkana; a cavalry camp for Texas
mounted troops, militia camp at Las
Vegas. n. NJ, and a camp in Arizona, ON
sites not yet selected.
Some southern troops included in the
| eastern department will go to camps not
| yet selected. The organized militia of
| North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia,
| Florida, Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi
| and Tennessee will concentrate at such
| camps.
Program for the East.
The program for the Eastern Division
| includes a camp of the militia division in