East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1917-12-29
CAVALRY IS READY
FOR HARD FIGHTING
HORSE REGIMENTS HAVE BEEN
KEPT IN TRIM ON WEST
ERN FRONT.


/ LONDON, England, Dec. There
are men with the British expeditions
airy forces who have faithfully car
ried their spurs in their haversacks
Tor three years and n hope In their
hearts that the time would como
When they could put them ON their
heels for real use. Heavy cavalry.
light cavalry. mounted infantry
when the Germans dug in after the
Push back from the Marne they went
into the trenches and served simply
as 'fdSt- -slOgsers." Their real job
vas temporarily in allegiance but they
lived in hope.
The hope OF the ordinary trooper
was shared by those In command and
cavalry men We're steadily enlisted
and trained. After Britain had es-
tablished a safe margin of superior
ity over the enemy the training was
more widely carried out. The horses
had never been neglected through
the long time of waiting they were
as carefully looked after as the men.
The lines in which they stood were as
healthy as constant labor could make
them and the veterinary arrange
ments We're admirably detailed. Men
were reserved to care for the horses
while a certain proportion was also
kept back from the firing line to he
trained as cavalry.
Cavalry in Arras Push.
The German retreat by Bapaume
and Peronne justified the keeping up
OF the cavalry and 1t was mounted
men who first entered Monchy-le-
PreuX by the valley of the Scarpe
during the Arras push in the early
months of this year.
One cannot help having a quiet
thrill when it is reported that cayaI-
ry have been in action, and this is I
one of the most interesting things in !
the surprise attack on the way to
Cambria.
The absence of artillery preparation
In this new battle. the simple break
through of the tanks followed by the
sturdy infantry and finally the splen- .
cid services of the cavalry, have DEM (
onstrated to the enemy that his trust I
In mathematically sited trenches and /
concrete emplacements is useless.
In Palestine the Turks have been +
driven from their trenches and are I
being chased by mounted troops !
wodrking in conjunction with an in Z
fantry which is so capable of quick .
marching as to be only slightly less
manry have given the writer's "A
chance to tell how the Turkish gun
ners were "sabered" and to recall
Tennysdn's lines The authentic
thrill came in reading accounts of
'he cavalry dashes in Palestine. but
surprise was not great. since Pales-
tine is fitted for that and since the \
Turkish defenSes had not the repu- 4
tation of the Slegried line. II
There must be something more Il
than thrill when we learn that Brit
ish cavalry charged German guns at
Noyelles, got right in among them
killed many of the gnnners, took 40
prisoners-and brought back the
guns. N
Past the Strongest Defenses.
There Is in that a symbol for those
W no care to search for 1t. 1t Is a ma
neuver that can happen only in cop
en-" warfare, and seldom then. Noy-
elles IS five miles behind the strong. 4
est defenses the world has ever seen.
These defenses were pierced without u
artillery bombardment and mounted
troops "sabered" enemy gunners five
miles behind them. The German
critics have been writing for
fearly a year Of the absolute impen-
inability OF the Hlndenburg trench
system, with its thousands OF tons
of concrete and its thousands of
miles of wire. In day the British
smashed ten mile length Of It. But
he British infantry before Cambrai
are very ready to recognize an that
hey owe to the unceasing hammer
blows delivered by the comrades on
he Ypres front and the unceasinR
work or Ahe guns there during the
asst three months. without which the
magnificent Cambrai advance would
lot have been possible. Those pa
'cnt northern operations held CON
upon their area both the
nxious attention and all available
eserves Of the German reserves Of
he German armies.