New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-23
By ROBERT DUNN.


\. NJ. April ~
With General Pershing at the Front,
April Elm the expedition: eyes the
chase after Villa has been significant
chiefly as measuring the army's cspaci-
ties and defects.
Nictors of the 9Th Cavalry at Guer.
zero. Of the 10th at Aguascalientes.
gloss over as incidental the spectacle
and adventure Of those fights. What
appeals to them, what they first en-
phasize, is the successful preparation
against the great odds Of such task
in such a country.
Censorship Too Reserved
Military men, always frank critics oil
themselves, arc more reserved IN re-
spect of their units as a whole, and It
must be remembered that the view OF
our censorship is even more reserved.
Every word which passes 1t has the
silent Endorsement of the army as
responsible arm Of the executive gov
eminent. As an advocate OF prepared
ness one feels that a great chance may
be lost to help the upbuilding of the
army which. il present plans fail, moth
ing les. than invasion and defeat Will
effect.
II is, OF course. only the expected
when you hear officers say, From ma
Tor TO rookie We learn more in day
On this hike than in six weeks at
manGuvres."
You take as matter of course
their fervid praise of the airmcn, fly.
ing long distances under conditions OF
air, altitude and equipment beside
which the problems of the European
war are childs play. We have always
known that American infantry on the
long, dry hike can show heels to any
soldier in the world. You are not
surprised to hear it is the daily stint
Of horscmen often to cover in the
saddle seventy-fve miles of country as
rough as any on the continent. One
does not argue against the statement
that for rigor and discomfort the ex-
petition is far severer than any under
taken IN the Phlllppines.
Cavalry Strength Low.
A German cavalry regiment. includ
ing reserves, can muster 15,OOO men.
We have no reserves. Our cavalry
war strength is LOO, about ninety men
in each of its twelve troops. Some OF
the troops. whose work to date has
been most effective against Villa, num-
Der hardly thirty-five men each. But
do not get the illusion that even had
they been able to enter Mexico in full
war strength, gathered at short notice,
their effectiveness would have been i'm
proved. On the contrary, 1t would
have been weakened. A chain can be
no stronger than its weakest link, and
one-third OF unframed men added TO
regiment, under our conditions OF food
supply, would have only further preju-
diced its state.
write with forced temperance.
Yet this matter OF a reserve-wnlcn
even the army may have felt before
this expedition was but an academic
fact-can hit you hard under the Mex
lean sun. The need at least OF reserve
depot suuadrons for each regiment Is
felt keenly. Had we severe losses IN
this wild area where the coyote hunt is
hottest, we would have no supply OF
men trained particularly for the ardu-
Gus work in hand to draw upon, just
as we have no ambulance service here
for the wounded. What luck our COM
placent country always plays in; how it
shames one.
All foreign regiments have reserve
depot squadrons, to train reservists'
hold remounts. receive and care FOR
the wounded, who, when recovered, re-
Join their regiments. We have nothing
of the sort, nor any prospects OF 1t.
And We have no divisional staff sys-
tenn. The army at present in Mexico
is skeleton division Of cavalry brig
AIDES, infantry regiments, mountain