Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-04-16
NOT WAR HORSES
ENOUGH FOR ARMY
Six Months Would Exhaust
Supply of Suitable Mounts,
Experts Declare.
ARGUMENT IS ADVANCED
FOR EXTENSIVE BREEDING
Claim Made That Farmers Would
Benefit, as Well as the
Government.

Government.
II the United States should become
involved in war with first-class power
less than six months after the commence
ment of hostilties we would have to
commence mounting cavalry and horse
artillery on draught horses similar to
those used for large express wagons and
brewery wagons. else on a type of
smaller horse SO inferior to the mounts
of our enemy that the disadvantage
would be marked.
This is the judgment of army heads
after careful canvass of the entire couu-
try, in which the two most prominent
bankers in every rural county in the
country was asked to send a list of the
number of horses available for the
mounting of cavalry and field artillery
the type and conformation of the horse
being carefully specified in the inquiry.
Training Would Be Futile.
II the country should go to war tomor-
row the spectacular horsemanshp and
superior training of her cavalry and
light artillery would avail her nothing
she hasn't the horses. According to Gen.
Aleshire. quartermaster general of the
army. there are less than 225.00o horses
available for military service in the coun-
try. This number would a little more
than offer first mounts TO a war strength
army. In the cival war the federal gov
ernment in one neutrality-suspicious.
and captured nearly 100000 horses and
during eight months of that year
mounted the Army of the Potomac twice.
Sheridan's troops were supplied through
out the war at the rate of three re-
mounts per annum
Friction between the War Department
and Department of Agriculture now
threatens to stop the only effort which
has been made in this country to correct
this condition While known as the
army remount service, the real object is
TO improve the breeding of carriage light
harness and saddle horses-types that
make the best ali-round horse for farm
and city-by offering the farmers the
Tree use OF thoroughbred stations be-
longing TO the government and directed
by the Department Of Agriculture.
In Operation Three Years.
This system, in a most abbreviated
form, has been in practice now for
three years. and with every possible
success Such foals as the United
States requires for remount purposes
d
to the farmer plus the amount usually
collected by the mfddleman buying
horses for the army under contract,
and Offering the United States better
morse at less expense for cavalry or
other mounted military work
Calling for an initial appropriation
OF $500 200 and an annual expenditure
thereafter of 100000 for a period of
years a bill for the extension of this
system, introduced by Representative
Thomas ]. Scully of New Jersey, is now
awaiting action by the House commit
tee on agriculture. The figures in the
Dill represent the estimates made by
experts Of the Agriculture and War de-
partments as to the amount necessary
TO give adequate force to the plan
Representative Scully. after consuIta-
ton with civilian and military experts
also has introduced a resolution call
Ing upon the House military affairs
committee for an investiga ton to de-
tsrmine whether the present plan
ehouio De supplemented in any way
Better Horses Only Object.
The Department of Agriculture has
taken the position that the object of
the remount system is to raise horses
for purely military purposes, and that
therefore the system should be directed
by the War Department." said MIR,
Scully yesterday.
The fact of the matter is that the
war department is asking only the
breeding of horses be encourae ed
which every user of horse for any
thlng except heavy uraught work de-
mands; that the scrub stock of this
country De weeded out by the offering
OF pure-bred stations to the farmers
The War Department hopes to benefit
only incidentally in time of peace as
the peace requirements in horse flesh
can very easily be taken care of and
In time of war. when the need of the
war Department is the need of the
entire country. where will the line be
Drawn between the duty of one depart
ment and another?
The United States next 10 Russia
leads the world in the production Of
horsef1esh. And yet our horses are
now or such poor type the foreign buy
ers coming over here are able despite
the desperate need Of their country to
purchase horses for military purposes
AZ about 800 head-that is not to
the farmer.
Distribution of Stations.
The government stations have been
OF four different breeds. selected by
conference of war. agriculture and
civilian experts and these have beer
confined to four different sections of
the country. The tnoroughbreds have
heen stationed at and near the re-
mount station AT Front ROYAL Va
where horses for hunting and saddle
work are popular. The Morgan stall
lions. seven in number. have been in
Vermont, where the Morgan horse. is
most popular. Ten standard breeds
registered horses of the trotting and
Hght harness type, have been stationed
IN Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia
and ten pure bred and registered sad
die stations have been in Kentucky
Virginia and West Virginia
pU0cpuATE pnrV DEcEruEn