New-York tribune., 1916-07-08
Rotten Managing" He
Calls u. S. Lack of
Ammunition.
STATE HAD TO BUY
a MILLION ROUNDS
MCNair Placed in Command of
New York Artillery-lncom
petents Weeded Out.
Bv ROBERT II. ROHDE.


McAllon. Tex. Headquarters 9th Field
Division. l. 5. A.. July :. Things
began 20 hum about Camp Scorpion
to-day. as the tremendous driving
force Of Major General John F. O'Ryan.
the LAWYER commander Of the New
York National Guard. made itself felt.
The method Of supplying ammuni-
tion to the New York troops was So
vcrc,y criticised by the general. who
declared that II the state had not
bought million rounds Of ammuni-
tion. the contingent would have reached
the border with less than 100 rounds
per man
The system" he said, els rotten, and
| have often protested against it,"
General O'Ryan himself spent tho
night m camp. although the head
quarters shack Vas only half-roofed
over. Before reveille was sounded at
= o'clock he had already brcakfasted
snd accomplished = good hours work.
IL was not until o'clock that the gen
crsl found time to do any talking His
first Official announcement was Of the
appointment Of Lieutenant Colonel
William s McNair. of the artillery
arm OF the regular service as briga-
dier general commanding the New
York artillery brigade
General McNsir. ss he became when
the War Department granted New
lork's request for his services. was
classmate and roommate of General
O'Ryan at the War College He will
have under ms command the lst and
ID Field Artillery reg .ments and the
Sd Field Artillery heavy. The latter
unit. with a strength OF l,050 men. IS
being created out Of the personnel OF
the 65th Infantry of Buffalo
lncompetents Retired.
"l' has been necessary to put some
officers of the 65th. those who did not
measure uD 10 the greater responsible
ties that came with the change. on the
retired list" said General O'Ryan.
While few have not taken their
retirement in good part. most Of them
realize that the officer : made for the
service and not the service for the
officer"
The general said ne believed the con-
CcutrStlon Of New York troops on the
border would be completed within the
next ten days The 74th and 23d regi-
ments. now en- route for Texas, will be
brigaded together. with headquarters al
Pharr.
IF the state hadn't spent It's own
good money for million rounds Of am
muni,ion the New York troops would
not have had even hundred rounds
man 10 carry 10 the border with them.
General Organ continued. Except IN
case Of call such ss this, We are pro-
v.ded only with twenty rounds for
small arms and twenty rounds for held
guns for riot service. Now We have
from seventy 20 one hundred and
twenty rounds OF shrapneL
Calls System Rotten.
"The delay in spportioning supplies
IS not the fault Of the Federal authori-
ties. who sped things up IN every way
possible. Il has been Gue 10 the rotten
system against which General Wood
and have both protested. The prob
lem does not lie in merely putting war
strength properties on train ana
sending The train TO TINS destination or
that, but 10 get the properties actually
into the possession of an individual
they have 10 be fitted and signed for
and there is much lost motion.
General Wood and nave urged that
all this should be done in time OF peace,
tbat the properties should be fitted 10
the individual when there is plenty OF
time. marked for identification and re-
turned 10 a Federal storeroom. where
they would be readily accessible when
needed
General Organ had as mis- guest at
luncheon Brigadier General James
Parker. L. s. A, who will be in com
mand of the regular troops IN THIS
section. The two generals are ola
friends.