The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-08-20
HORSES FOR THE ARMY
THE TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INFORMATION BUREAU
By Frederic j. Haskin. Director.
Washington, ID. G.


mule. I'm William Smith, an
nounced the visitor, land this here's
my mule william Jennings Bryan. We
want to jine the army"
The recruiting sergeant tod VIII
liam Smith that Uncle Sam would De
glad to nave him in the official family.
but William Jennings Bryan would
have to stay at home. ON hearing
which William Smith refused to jine.
Like the man who would not enter
heaven without his dog, he refused
to enter the army without his mule.
He and the mule returned to their
native highlands.
Now this is to give notice to William
Smith that if he will return to the
recruiting station. he will be enlisted
and his mule along with him. IL pos
sible, his mule will get warmer wei
come than himself. Uncle sam Is
short of mules.
The new armies, including only the
regulars at war strength, the national
guard at full strength, and the first
million of drafted men, will require
about 100000 horses and mules. How
and where to get these animals, OF
the right type and at right price, Is
one of the little problems that bring
out gray hairs over military broWs IN
the quartermaster generals office
Congress settled a good many OF the
adjutant generals troubles by passing
the selective service bill, but 1t neg
lected to provide for the nationwide
registration and selectiVe uraIt Oh
horses and mules.
There is a rather widespread i'm
preston that motor transport has re-
placed the horse and the mule. The
cavalry horse has not been ousted by
the motorcycle, nor the artillery horse
by the motor truck. Mechanical
transport takes an increasing share
of the burden, true enough; il this
were not the case, there would not be
enough horses and mules available
in the world to supply the armies of
Europe.
In considering the problem, it must
be remembered that the allies have
been buying horses in this country for
three years. They have swept the
market fairly clean of surplus stock,
and some of them-especially the
British, who have a nice eye for a
horse-have taken mainly animals of
the first quality. Up TO a certain point
this was all right. Our middle west
ern farmers were glad to get ride of
the surplus horses whose places were
being taken by gasoline driven ma
chimes. But with our own immense
army to equip, they may tell another
story before peace comes.
When the national guard went to
the border, horses and mules were
needed for a force of lao, 900 men. In
order to get the necessary stock, pur-
chasing officers were authorized to
make less stringent the physical re-
quirements of the eligible mule, in
somewhat the same fashion as the reg
ular army physical requirements have
been eased up since the declaration
of war. The minimum height for a
mule was reduced from Is hands to
1415, for one thing. Further conces-
sions will probably be made in the
face of the immense new demand.
American army requirements for
horses and mules are the strictest in
the world. In one big Kansas horse
market last year there were purchas-
ing commissions from France, Eng
land, Italy and the United States buy
ing cavalry remounts. The horse
dealers agreed unanimously that the
American officers knew horses bet
ter than any of the others and were
buying a better grade of stock.
To be accepted for the army. q
horse must weigh somewhere between
1000 and 1900 pounds. Here is one
cause of the scarcity for the breeding
OF these medium-weight horses is
rapidly dying out. The modern farm
er breeds heavy draught horses, which
are the only ones for which there is
much peace demand. The automo-
bile has largely supplanted the lighter
types. But the ponderous draught
breeds are no use to the army.
There are really plenty of suitable
army horses in the country, say the
purchasing officers, but they are wide
ly scattered, and buying them and col
Letting them is going to be a tremen-
dous task. Only three or four ami
mails can be picked up in the average
locality. This means that a purchas-
ing officer would have to travel
countless thousands of miles on his
task, and that the cost of getting to-
gether carload of hores would mount
high. Even the problem of getting
enough stock cars would be serious
Numerous plans have been suggest
ed for gathering the necessary horses,
volve nationwide horse and mule
| registration and a selective draft. This
method is regarded as impractical
The plan that will probably be follow
ed will be similar to that under
which the allies have been buying
their stock The government will give
out specifications and prices, and pri-
vate horse dealers will go about the
| country buying up suitable animals.
These will be brought to points desig-
mated by the government, where they
will be inspected by an army purchas-
| ing board.
| The army today owns about 102 900
horses and mules. About half a mil
| lion more are needed Any farmer
breeder or dealer who can supply one
or more carloads is requested to COM
municate with the war department. A
carload consists of eighteen tottwenty-
| five animals. Mares are not pur-
chased except when they are unusual
| ly fine animals, and then only on spe-
cial authority.
| After the government buys lot oil
horses they are marked with the U. S
brand and shipped to a remount sta
! ton, where they are Conditioned" for
army service. The army maintains
thirty-two of these stations, under the
| charge of expert officers. After a
| few days of treatment to bring the
animals into perfect condition, They
are drilled for the particular branch
| of the service for which they are de.
| signed. Horses destined for ARTILLERY
work receive the greatest attention
Cavalry remounts get less drill, and
mules to be used for transport OF