New-York tribune., 1916-07-15
Whitman and Organ
Begin Inquiry from
Here to Texas.
REGULARS CALL
GUARD "SLIPSHOD"
Army and State Officers
Shift Blame for Lack
of Equipment.

Governor Whitman ordered an in
ouirv Yesterday into the condition ol
the troops on the border that were
mustered into the service Of the united
states from the New York National
Guard. ]. Mayhew Wainwright, ex-
State Senator. who was recently COM
missioned a lieutenant colonel in the
jnspector generals department, was di-
rocted TO start for Texas and report on
the grievances Of the Guardsmen.
Not only the mutterings from the
watchers Of the border, but the forci-
bic raids which Guardsmen from New
York made upon lunch counters and
provision stores while on the way TO
Texas. moved the Governor TO take ac-
lion. From McAllen come reports that
the soldiers are sweltering in winter
uniforms, and dispatches from Cleve'
land. Erie and Kansas City tell OF tie
avalanche of New York Guardsmen that
descended upon food supplies when the
troop trains passed through.
Guard System Called "Slipshod."
Experienced army officers at the
headquarters of the Department of the
East make only one answer 10 the
series Of food riots marking the rail-
road trail of the New York guardsmen
now en- route and the sweltering of
,be troops at McAllen and other en-
csmpments in heavy khaki uniforms
that we're never intended for tropical
wear. The answer is this: The spirit
Of the volunteer soldiers and their Of
hcers is excellent, but the whole Ma
,ionsl Guard system itself is wofully
wrong. slipshod and inadequate.
The food problem is regarded as the
more acute and serious of the two. Re-
rorts from the border indicate that dis
satisfaction is not confined TO the sol
diers now on trains, who bolted disci-
pline and raided stores and restaurant
al Eric. Cleveland and Kansas City yes
tsrday and the day before. Major Cen
ersl John +. Organs statement at Nc
Allen. Tex. is ample proof of serious
gfumbling on the part Of soldiers al
ready encamped on the border.
Railroad congestion between McAller
and Harlingen. where the depot quar-
termaster is located; sidetracking OF
food cars and Broadway prices FOL
staple products seem to have caused
temporarily at least, monotonous fare
IN camp.
Discipline Is Lacking.
Major General Leonard Wood saiC
yesterday that the food rioting of re
cruits was due to several causes. ON
GERS who finally suppressed the hunge
insurrection informed General Woo
that discipline among the men wa
lacking These soldiers were raw re
cruits. who fell upon food like bolster
Gus college students. The general re
,narked too. however, that travelln'
IN ,be border with army ratlons aion
and no cook car was like going 10 oa'
Francisco with shoe-box luncn'
At the headquarters of Colonel henr.
$. Sternberger, division quartermasre.
in the Municipal Building, assuran.,
was given that the recruits WI, W
rsidod stores and restaurants ha'
been provided with ten days ratlon'
for the fiye-day railroad Journey. Een
eral Woods staff Inspected tnat PnsI'
Of their departure. Some oil 'he ~
Regiment recruits ate their ten-days
supply in two days. and regular army
officers nut that breach down also t6
the inadeauacy of the National uuaro
system in point OF discipline
Militia Ouartermasters Blamed.
The hunger raids themselves, accord
ing 70 officers attached to Governor
Island headquarters, are lndicatVe o
the ineffciency of the commissariat or
ganizations in many National Guart
units. Each unit quartermaster,
seems. is responsible for the supply o
his own men. Therefore il is the regu
lar army officers view that II the mel
actually we're hungry, inexperlence'
guard officers. charged with rationln'
and subSisting their units until the.
pass under the jurisdiction OF the arm.
qusrtermasters at the border, are L
blame for hungry stomacns.
Raid by Hungry Guardsmen.
According TO accounts OF the raiu
reaching this city yesterday, the foi
lowing is about what happened: larg
majority Of some 700 recruits OF tn
18th, l4th, 23d and 69th Regiments, VII
got an hours leave from Major I'm
othy j. Moynahan at Cleveland to bu
food at the Nickel Plate depot. coul
not get their orders fast enough, an
tnereupon helped themselves 70 abou
slOO worth of watermelons, ale, meat:
tobacco, fruit and wine at three com
mission houses and then emptied
restaurants commissariat A riot cal
ior the police rescued the victims fror
inrther impoverishment.
Morris Goldheimer, of the Clevelan
Produce Company, said that the militia
men told him their knapsacks had bee
empty for thirty-six hours. Csptsi
Jacob Graul, Of the riot squad ths
quelled the disorder. expressed his re
q