New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-02
Government Bought Its First Auto Truck
Hey to Army Transportation Problem
After Troops Had Crossed Border
No Provision Made for Water.

is boiling it. but to boil water you must FIRST
have water, and you must then have fuel, and
in this district of Mexico water is very scare.
and fuel almost unknown. These facts w.r.
discovered by Americans in 1916 and wa.
known to the Spaniards in the sixteenth cen.
fury. 1t is just possible that the Washington
department may become aware Of their ex.
istence at some future epoch.
The troops, therefore. when they came to
water on those first days Of the march, their
tongues swollen and their mouths black with
thirst could not be allowed to drink il be.
cause it had not been purified After the ex.
petition started water purifiers were ordered
which purified the water without the necessity
OF boiling it. The government has fortunately
been able TO buy couple OF Standard Oil tank
trucks, whch have never been used and which
can keep up with the column and will carry
enough water in good condition to suffice for
its needs for a couple OF days. But such trucks
should have been in use by the army on tn.
frontier for the last ten years.
Adequate artillery to support our column
should it be attacked, we apparently did not
send with it. although some light guns went
An adequate stock Of ammunition to MAINTAIN
even 5000 men. should they be forced to de-
fend themselves in the hills, is probably not to
be found in the whole United States.
In any event our troops are not experienced
enough in using the artillery they have 10 meet
emergencies which may appear. The nigh,
attack on Columbus was largely successful
because the machine guns OF the troops there
did not work The men detailed to use then
were either so excited or inexperienced that
they got them out of order in the first few
moments OK action. The official explanation
given is that the guns damned because they
were being fred in the dark Shades OF Grant
and Sherman! How do they suppose war
carried on' Do they suppose that troops u
Europe wait until the bright sunlight comes
in the morning before they FIRE at an attaes'
ing force1 The real truth is, no doubt, ns'
- &c men had never fired the guns except IN
bright sunlight, under favorable conduons'
with plenty OF time TO do anything they lkso'
and therefore when called upon TO act IN plS'
dark and in hurry were unable TO RESPOND
Every European army has praetised hrns
under all sorts of conditions and has useo W
ammunition enough to find out how to 90 IL
In this country enough ammunition 70 p''e
tse with could never be extorted from 1on
gress. Little driblets they deal out from 'ii'
to time, but enough thoroughly 10 tram ''
batteries has never been available.
In fact, this is not punitive expedition !"
all, because it is not in the least likely %"
anybody is going to be punished unless ",
bandit comes forward and delivers nim"'
over or some traitor brings him IN. MS !"
playing with the lives of brave men, wi.u"ep
and unjustifiably exposing them to suhe"'
and death. To send 5000 men down INV g q
arid country with which they are no, " :"
acquainted, without clothing proper io' v,
district without perfect water supplies '"'
adequate ammunition is simply to request wv"
TO commit suicide
Any one of a thousand accden,s-Iet Us y,
pose the spring floods wash out the fdN'0's
TO Texas. that the roads are washed CIV =.
Mexico. approaching the column itself; ''a' "
auto trucks break down. that the mules Wv "
any Of these may certainly put thd' 49,"
detachment in dire peril and may aiio" " ~,
to be surrounded by movement OF 0'"''
and be overwhelmed and destroyed
But as for those brave men in the Amen',. !.
detachment. they will have been Hufoe,s.
that case by the people OF the United '' ~.
The army officers arc not to blame ou' az :,
quated War Department is very mu'" -.
blame, but it is the people themselves WIN g.,
responsible for the War Department s"'
the Congress v hich backs it up. .s.
For years people have been told .n'' .,.
army was not adequate. that its supphe' "a
deficient for such emergencies as these -,
the people have paid no attention anu
lodged no protest with Congress .s,.
The people themselves at large must "" q,
fore in the last analysis bear the pam. 4,
every American soldier who goes u"S ,,u.d
hungry. and in particular for every man -, "a
by this failure to prepare for eneis'"
1t