New-York tribune., 1916-07-05
First Evening Parade Fol
lows Vigorous Day
in Burning Sun.
MEXICAN RESIDENTS
SEE DEMONSTRATION
Watch Businesslike Activities OF
American Troops Across
the Border.
By ROBERT II. R0HDE.


lby iefgfaph 10 Inc lfuuNc
( McAllen, Tex, July 4 headquarters
Second Provisional Brigade, Sixth
Field Division, L. S. A).-Major Flores,
busy little commanding officer of the
/ Carranza garrison at Reynosa, some
seven miles south Of here, heard more
stories tonight of the industry and
endurance of the gringo fighters at
Camp Scorpion.
"Not only did they labor all day,
without stopping even for the siesta,"
the Majors agents in McAllen doubt
less reported, but in the afternoon
they stood stiffly in the sun for nearly
an hour, while their ffes and drums
played and the gringo flag was carried
/ up and down their ranks
1t was with the fifes and drums and
| flying colors that the 7th celebrated
the Fourth. Drawn up in regimental
/ formation for their first evening pa
rade. twelve end 10 end olive drab
companies that stretched from the
. II
ground to the brush at the other, they
seemed as fresh as if there was not a
hard days work in the hot sun behind
them.
To the south Of them the list lnfan-
try. whose parade ground is not yet
cleared, was lined up in the company
streets through the ceremony, and at
the same time the 14th was parading
near its camp at Mission. For Nc
Aliens Mexican population, which
outnumbers the 500 American five TO
one. it was an impressive demonstra-
tion.
Half of Population Looks On.
Camp building had kept the guard
too busy for anything like a parade
before In military formation, with
their business-lke rifles and auto
MATES. they seemed 10 have multiplied
in numbers and to have become in
hutely more formidable. Half of the
people of McAllcn and Mission watched
the pgrades, together with hundreds Of
farmers and ranchmen who had ridden
in for the day. The towns themselves,
aside from the opening of couple OF
shooting galleries, had made no prep
aration for formal celebration. There
,
been the custom OF each OF the pre-
vious five July ( celebrations here.
This year the merchants were too
busy with the rush of business brought
by the troops.
Tomorrow, with the arrival Of Major
General John +. Organ, who will com
mand the National Guard troops IN
this section, which extends more than
hundred miles along the Rio Grande
from the Gulf, real military work will
start. Rifle ranges are 10 be located
at McAllen for the entire division, and
the vast quantity Cf ammunition al
ready here, 100000 rounds in all, in
sures the men sufficient practice prac-
tically to make them experts.
Armored Trucks on Way.
Two hundred and ffty-one armored
motor trucks, many more than are avail
able for the use of the regular army,
are on the way here from San Antonio.
Each carries thirty-iye men and is
equipped with wire cutting device TO
cut way through entang dement's. The
trucks will be operated IN fleets OF nine.
In addition several power cars for
use on the railroad tracks are on the
way. These can be quickly adjusted for
use as automobiles. Until there is use
for them in the field the trucks will be
used as supply carriers.
Brigadier General George r. Dyer
received an offer to-day from Mrs. W.
X. Vanderbilt, jr.. to equip and main
tain a field hospital, oflicered by sur
geons who have had experience with
the Allies. Ii was stipulated that Mrs.
Vanderbilt be free 10 trsSsfer this
hospital to volunteer division should
one be called into the field. General
Dyer replied that it was not feasible
at this time 10 accept the offer. He
suggested that Mrs. Vanderbilt de-
posit in New York bank the money
equivalent 20 the cost of the hospital
TO be drawn on in time Of need.
Twelfth Near San Antonio.
The 18th Infantry was expected to
arrive in McAllen to-day, but 40 late
hour tonight its troop trains were
lettering somewhere along the road be
tween San Antonio and the camp.
Names for the three camps of the
New York division already have been
selected. For reasons easily guess
abl> the camp here becomes Camp
Scorpion, the one at Pharr Camp Rat
tlesnake and the one at Mission Camp
Tarantula.
Mail from home is flooding the camp
and the busiest men about are the
chaplsins, who also are the postmas-
tiers. Or. William +. McCord. of the
eth, and DR.. William S. Proctor, of the
list. have had TO requisition automo-
bles TO carry the mail bags from the
station.
A letter from Colonel Fisk, of the
7th, is on its way to the editor of a
New York evening newspaper The
colonel denies the assertion made edi-
torlally by the newspaper that the
regiment started for Texas before its
men had undergone medical eXami-
nation. He denied further that there
had been any complaint in regard TO
the travel ratiOns, and said the men
had been perfectly comfortable
through one night they had to spend
in day coaches.
Minimum of Discomfort"
at is my opinion" he wound up,
"that at no time have troops mobil-
lied al point $500 miles from the
home station with such minimum of
discomfort and such maximum Of
efficiency on the part of the officers
charged with the mobilization. ear
nestly hope you will make these facts
public"
As they fall into the routine Of train
ing tomorrow, the men will take hve-
mile practice hike. The distance will
be increased gradually up to thirty
miles day. Along with the hikes they
will have extended order drills and
within a few weeks, if there is no real
war in that time, there will be series
of field maneuyres.
The raid, which was half expected
last night, did not develop, but to-
night the military police patrolling the
city and the pickets around the camps
Iemhin douhled MaYor Archer has