New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1915-07-14
REPORTER EXPERT"
KNOCKS IST RBG'I,
BOYS MIGHT AS WELL STAK
HOME AND SAVE MONEY
HE SAYS.
COLONEL BUSCHERS AND LIEU.
TENANT KLAUSE TAKE Ex-
CEPTION.

Officers of the Second Regiment ofth6
Minnesota National Guard fail to aerNs
with the peevish shout of disaprobtiaz,
that one Jack Remington, reporter fu
the st. Paul Pioneer Press and Dispatch,
emits in regard to the sorry plight Isl
the First Regiment now in camp at
Camp Lakeview. Certainly the pathetic
picture of total unpreparedness that thar
worthy paints of the condition .of the
nations defenders does not apply to:the
Second Regiment if the word of Colonel
Buschers and Lieutenant Klause may
be allowed to stand before the word of
the expert tactician who is said to have
learned the art of war in previous
European wars. lust how previolx
said European wars have been the Dis
patch fails to state.
The Minnesota National Guard is il
bad shape declares Remington. GIhgy
are sadly lacking in equipment tthere are
not pistols enough for the officers and
they can't use what they have effectively,
no mules are to be hadto draw the guns,
the whole organization is bound straight
to the Tarnation Bow-wows and the
boys might just as we'll stay home and
work for all they are learning of the art
and science of war. So sputters the
alleged expert.
Viewed in the light of several years
experience in times of peace and war
with the armies which are now making
history in Europe, have seen nothing
here in the past two days which seems
to warrant the expense entailed in 1.-THE
transportation and care of some 900 men
Tor the encampment period.
# There has been nothing OF a practical
turn which could not have been accom-
plished on the parade grounds in the
Twin Cities or on the range at Fott
Smelling at considerably less expense, anc
the saving could have been utilized for
the purchase of equipment, of which the
1eeHHeHC Is SOTely IN neeQ.
THE only practical training given the.
troops to date has been that on the
rifle and pistol ranges, and problem
in estimating distances. The tents for
the troops were in place when they
arrived. Pits on the range had beens
excavated in advance. Trench took
are part OF each soldiers equipment,
but they have been used only in ex-
cavating drains about the camp kitchens,
On the rifle range the men have
done fairly good work, considering that
the Springfield rifles are new to many
OF them and few have been taught tbs
correct use of the sling. On the pistol
range today the noncommissioned officers
were given their first practical stry-om
with the Colt As. These weapons were
first issued to some of the officers last
year, replacing the Colt 49,, but the
officers who possessed them were in,
camp at Sparta where there is no pistol
range.
This year the officers have only
half enough pistols to go around. L.
today's test there frequently were three.
misses in five rounds at 3x6 target at
distance of fifteen yards.
I'VE can train some of the noncono-
missioned officers on the pistol range
this year," said a captain with thu
small arms detail "but next year sve
will have lot of new officers, who win
be just as green as some of the officers
on the range today.
In the matter of equipment the ma
chine gun company seems to be little
better off than other arms Of the service.
The guns now in use are of the Bennett
MERCER type, shooting 400 pellets q
minute, and tanning at about the time
the shots are beginning to become
effective. The Federal government Is
discarding this type of machine gun, and
also has promised the militia new equip
ment OF this line. The do it now
label should be attached to the govern
ments good intentions.
AS result of inquiries ofryariok
officers I believe if a mobilization order
were to be issued today for the. First
regiment. there would not be~a single
branch OF the organization which couE
boast OF full equipment. The govern
ment is presumed to issue = sstandafa
shoe, but have counted fifty-sevea
varieties Of footwear in camp. today.
The olive drab sweater is partbf the
STANDARD uniform and, by the way, they
came in mighty handy today, but there
are several men without sweaters.
CONTINUED On last psgs.)