New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-06-25

saken place. Whereupon the captain gave or
ders to the sergeant Of his guard. The mons
commissioned officer informed the drivers thai
the first of them who turned back TO Columbua
would be Systematically shot up.
The drivers protested that they were Arner'
lean citizens and wanted their rights. Tho
sergeant listened unmoved as he drew up mis-
squad into convenient place for the shooting.
The drivers finally concluded that they were
too far away to consult their attorneys, and
the train proceeded TO Namiquipa.
Civilian drivers hate the sound Of the truck
drivers whistle. They scott at the military
alignment, and they do not see why it should
be necessary for the trucks 70 draw up milb-
tary fashion when they arrive at the dlherene
towns en- route.
Camping out away from a garrisoned town
the truck trains take the same formation tnas
was used by the emigrant trains when they
we're forced TO guard against Indian attacks
at night The trucks are distributed In
circle. with the captains runabout, the cook
truck and the ammunition truck in the centre
Placed in this formation, the truck train is
difficult proposition for a bandit band TO rush.
No doubt many band has been watching
those valuable trains of food and ammunition,
longing to pounce upon them, but they re-
Trained A well ordered truck train could get
into battle formation in a few minutes, and the
Springfield rifles would be covering every point
of attack very effectively.
A quarter Of a million dollars in gold was
shipped in with one train, guarded by fifty
picked marksmen. Bandit bands, knowing OF
this. probably longed to rush it, but they did
not make the attempt At night, in its proper
formation, with its outposts alert, the well con-
Quoted train should be impossible to surprise
But civilian drivers are hard 20 convince OF
the necessity for remaining alert. They VIII
lock their ammunition in the tool boxes; and,
while they are painfully solicitous Of the
mechanism of their trucks, they have no re-
gard for the mechanism Of the Springfield
rifles which are issued to them.
They have no respect for shoulder straps.
A typical incident was one near Espia. The
truck train drew into the place hot and dusty.
The news was spread that there was a real
swimming hole twenty feet deep in the place.
Soldier guards and civilian drivers made
dash for it, As they neared it they heard
delicious splashing, but sentry halted them.
"Sorry, boys" he said, "but there's an officer
bathing there now, and the orders are that no.
body is allowed in till he gets through"
A big ex-taxicab driver from New York pro-
ceeded to peel off his army uniform. In an-
other minute he dove into the pool with
mighty splash He came to the surface and
grinned cheerfully at the indignant expression
of the second lieutenant, outraged at the facs
that his privacy had been disturbed, appar-
emily by an enlisted man.
"Oh, that's all right" shouted the auto
driver. Il don't mind if you are little bis
dirty. Come on in. The water is fine"
The lieutenant realized that the intruder was
one of those irresponsible, irreverent civilian
truckmen. There was nothing to do but to
withdraw with a. much dignity as could be
preserved under the circumstances.
But one Of these days the truck train will bs
systematized. The drivers will all be enlisted
men, There will be fixed rate Of speed, and
the trucks will all be up to determined specific
cations. All of this should have been accom-
plished by this time, but the War Departments
is consistently tardy.
When the truck train is perfected, the mule
train will go. Also the pride of the cavalry
will be traied in the gasolene- scented dust OF
the auto truck train. They VIII amend the
epigram of the general who said IAN army
travels on its belly" TO "An army travels on
its gasolene"