Semi-weekly herald., 1914-03-19

~ thrown into action in the field,
according to figures obtained here.
The militia furnishes better fighters
than volunteers, but the militiamen
cannot be counted as regulars for il
would require perhaps three months
to get them in proper fighting trim.
That section Of the regular army mis-
tered at Galveston now is in the lin
liant maneuv6rs that are constantly
| ing In the open, under canvas, for
one year the officers and men have
faced summer heat and winter cold
alike and are hardened to the maxi
mum point. while tedious and bril-
liant menauvers that are constantly
being held have kept all of the bat
tilions on their toes until they are
up to the latest war tactics. Every
effort Of the generals and command
ers here during the maneuvers has
been directed toward simplification,
efficiency and effectiveness and per-
haps, there Is nowhere in the world
ARIfiF a VttAtl tltiitd anu IlOIc uiGTt
army division than here.
Great advances have been made by
army officials. For instance, the rifle
now in use has range of 1850 yards
more than one and one-hah miles, and
IL has the necessary wind ranges of
various winds. The militia, regular
infantrymen and the navy have the
same models, whereas during the
spanish-American war the navy had
one kind, the army another kind and
the militiamen we're supplied with
dozen different models and calibers
Of guns. Various size cartridges had
to be supplied, and one department
could not use the same ammunition
as the other, resulting in a great
amount of confusion which is now
completely done away with.
Our navy now has 80 modern bat
tleships and nine old battleships, 15
first-clnss cruisers, 8 second-class
cruisers, IA third-class cruisers, 81
Igunboats, 40 destroyers, to effectively
'ANNhNtN aii NhffeicstN ppftS. ssotiteTS
in the regular army and the militia
have been given thorough practice
in handling and firing their rifles,
the amount Of rifle practice now be-
| ing given each man Is more than
double what it was few years ago,
! so that the men are all familiar with
their arms and 80 per cent Of them
are good shots at stationary and NOV
| ing targets, for all kinds of practice
firing has been lately introduced. The
heaviest obtninable type Of automo-
bile trucks that can carry several
tons of provisions, arms, ammunition
etc, have added much to the speed
with which supplies, and consequently
troops can be moved overland These
trucks are capable of making twenty
miles hour If such speed were neces-
stry. Motorcycles have been furnish
ed members of the aviation and other
squads which need to make quick
trips about the field or post. and these
haye greatly shortened the time re-
quired for establishing wireless camps
signal service camps and caring for
aviators and aeroplanes. SO many
|automobiles, trucks and motorcycles
have been already put into use that it
| is certain that in the event of war !.
with foreign nation the automobile
would play a considerable part but
the horse and mule would not be
eliminated
The army at present is sadly lack
ing in field artillery batteries, that
being it's most striking deficiency, but
on the other hand the signal corps is
far in advance of other armies as
here will be found every one Of the
very latest discoveries in wireless
teiegraphy, telephony, and the most
scryicable Instruments and the quick
est possible sort of method for get
ting form one place to another, the
motorcycle Our battleships along the
gulf coast could effect a perfect
blockade of every port within "a hours
while the troops now stationed here
and at other points in Texas could
be gotten to any section of the Tex
as border within less than "a hours
while those sent out from the Mexi-
can gulf ports on the transports could
reach their destinations anywhere
from SO to 60 hours after embark
ing here. The large army transports
now in Galveston harbor can accom-
odate an average of 5000 men each,
carrying on board rcations for Is
days, and they arc already stored
with these necessary rations. The
men could be safely on board and
out Of port a few hours after orders
for embarkation We're received.
On the whole, the land fighters Of
the United States today while some-
what small are admittedly the flower
Of all armed bodies ever raised BY
this country. With militiamen 70 The
number of $4,000 ready for call and
lcountess thousands of voluntepfu