The Washington times., 1916-04-02

COLUMBUS. NJ NJ, March 10 by |
maiD.-The small number of disabled or
sick men sent back to the border since
the American army crossed into Mexico
is considered e. remarkable testimonial
tot the splendid training the soldiers had
received.
The cold nights and the hot days
have been the principal trials of the
men. During the day, the sand gets
very hot quite early in the morning
and this has resulted in blistered and
scalded feet. 1t also has caused the
men on several occasions to break away
from the restraint of their officers and
drink the water in wells and springs
| along the line of march before 1t could
| be tested to establish its purity. The
heat OF the day and. grinding into
shoes, causes the feet to blister and
| become chafed.
| When night comes on the sand cools
| quickly. and before midnight becomes
cold. The men find their blanket rolls
4 so bothersome during the heat of the
| day. insufficient to protect them from
the cold at night. and the result Is
| constant irritation. Some OF the off
GERS have sent back to the border for
additional bedding.
| The suffering from the heat IL not so
\ intense for the men who have pene-
trated into the mountainous regions, but
| the cold Is greater at night. because OF
the high altitude. and some of the
| cavalrymen often have not been able
to sleep at all. Notwithstanding the
| hard rides of the day.
The riding has been hard, for return
ing scouts from the front assert that
General Pershing set pace OF four
teen hours day In the saddle. and kept
Il Koins.
"He Is a man killer" they say. but
| Al. "A 81. 9rKR IL ta tar
and the men do not mind. What they
want to do is capture villa, and no
body grumbles because the old man
rides them hard"
Food Supplies Meager.
Many OF the disadvantages under
which the army entered Mexico have
been brought TO light. The army went
into Mexico without sufficient means
TO convey food for the men. II has no
field kitchens, and the men have had to
subsist chiefly on canned goods or
what they could cook themselves in
their own mess kits.
| Had there been well organized au-
tomobile transport service. food could
have been taken along for cooking al
the various halting points. and had the
American army been on a parity with
European armies in preparedness tC
take the field. IL would have had field
kitchens on wheels, so that food might
have been prepared en- route.
There was nothing OF the sort. anc
the transport wagons attached to the
border brigade were mule-drawn ant
unable to keep pace with the cavalry
| The result was that the cavalrymer
had to take in their saddle pockets Tho
food that they would use on their jour
ney. with the exception OF the fresh
beef they could obtain on the way
| and this was only occasionally.
Here we were on the border for foul
or five years" said an officer on thu
march into Mexico. expecting service
any day, yet no provision was made
. for our food supplies. We were lef
; here on the border with transportation
equipment such as served the armies II
the field against the Indians two-scor,
years ago: service similar to that will
the army in the civil war.
: might say After it Is decided to sen'
us into Mexico. they have to buy every
l. thing we need and send II TO us. Al
we had were our rifles and our uni
. forms"
Criticism Freely Expressed.
Generally. the criticism Is strong O
the unprepared manner OF the Govern
!; ment to make the campaign in Mexico
y The criticism is freely expressed by OF
: hcers and men alike. and civilian
readily sympathize with their com
!. plants.
= There were hardly horses enough 10
:. the men to use. and not an automobil
}. for the general and his stan. Thes
had TO be bought in FL Paso before tn
}. troops left there. The day the army en-
tered Mexico General Pershing wishe
= 20 send some officers from Columbu
TO Hachita, to enter with the cop
mand of Colonel Dodd, and he had I
| nd bo Of priN nj
a citizens to do II.
}. Here had been an infantry brigad
), and cavalry brigade on border dut
for almost hve years, and there was M
D. an automobile to be had-very few auto
mobile trucks In the service of the qual
r termaster's department.
Training of Best.
|, The army had ammunition and arm
and it had the training. Otherwise,
was inefficient. That the training wa
OF the best Is evidenced by the grei
q distances covered and the few cases
s. disabled or sick men.
That it is not the fault of the De
o. sonnel-offcers and mcn-of the arm
y thai the army is inefficient. is thus estaI
n. lished. II Is as efficient as any army
" the world. probably more SO, in vie
o. OF what 1t has accomplished with
a. little to do 1t with. but 1t has not bee
sufficiently equipped by the Cover
ment.
Trucks and other needed facilities fc
1 moving an army have been comm
forward rapidly since the army mov-
ly ment got under way. but had Gener;
Pershing not cut himself loose froI
lie everything to take chances with N
- men, the troops would not be in MeXiC
H. yet. for the full equipment Is not y,
" assembled
General PershinG virtually took h
men in on \ chance that they coIl
49, subsist off the country, for he rode al
- rode far into Mexico, with the certai
knowledge that 1t would be days an
bt days before an efficient supply an
al transport system could be furnishC
20, him.
ys That his men heartily rode off wit
him and kept up the hard. gruelia
~ march with the same spirit of enthus
e'Ii asm evidenced on the first day, hi
~ demonstrated the mett!e of the Amer
te can soldier.
de All he needs Is "a little help from h
ali Government" as an officer remarkt
Is today.
Given the modern equipment needle
&C. the American army would be superb
TO- to anything In the world" declare
n this officer. 'lIa1 we the efficiency
he the Germans in our organization, v
could whip two Germans for every m;
y: in our organization. But we can't hS
a without something to fight upor.