Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1918-09-05
CAVALRY REGIMENTS
INTO THE ARTILLERY
Modern Warfare as Practiced
In Europe Has Little Place
For Mounted Soldiers.

@ Leavenworth, Kan.-The am
announcement by Secretary Baker that
h is regiments of cavalry of the ma
ttonal army ordered organized last
spring are to be reorganized as artil-
lery for the new regular army divi-
sions. has put the nnal crimp in what
used to be looked upon as the corps
de elite of the three fighting arms Of
n military forces. from the Begin
ming of the regular army down to a
year ago. h West Pointers who were
not assigned to the engineers, were
given Their choice Of the three fight
ing branches in the order OF their
picked the cavalry. TIE next men in
line usually picked the artillery. The
infantry got what was left and filled
any other vacancies with "rankers" or
even civilians. The infantry was the
Cinderella OF the army. Now the in
tillery is h Prince Consort and the
once proud and prancing cavalry is
little better than a police force along
the Mexican border.
The first blow came asst April when,
with the order to expand the army to
war strength, 1t was specified hat the
eight additional cavalry regiments pro-
vided for should be organized as ar
tillery. Hopes rose, when q cavalry di-
vision was ordered organized at Ell
F'aso. only to fall again when the d.
vision was 'disbanded.4 General PERISH
ing reported that cavalry was needed:
and II it eve was the French had
enough and to spare. Offered nothing
better h dreary patrol duty along
the Mexican border. cavalry officers
began to flock into the new artillery
regiments, into aviation, even into the
once-despised infantry. into anything
that offered a chance to get to France.
Hopes Revived.
Then last spring the war department
ordered is regiments of cavalry formed
Tor the National army. Cavalry hopes
hope once more rose. 1t was believed
h new registrants We're. with. regular
cavalry regiments. to see seSvice in
France. Once more cavalry steck went
up and there was keen competition
for berths in the new regiments. The
organizations were whipped into shape
with speed and pep" Lately the new
regiments have been Just rarin' to go"
Once more the struggle in France APP
pears to be developing into q eva of
movement" an open field struggle
where h cavalry. when the infantry
and artillery mad finished tho prelimi-
nary job OF mauling the enemy into
q state of exhaustion. would dash up
with bugles blaring. sabers flashing in
h sun, guidons Tapping gaily in the
breeze. administer the coupe do grace
and then ride proudly back amidst tho
plaud1ts or the -doughboys m the gum
ners.
And now it is not to be. The dough-
boys and the gunners can administer
their own coupe de grace thank you.
The cavalry is In the discard-"quito
good enough to chase Mexicans," the
doughboys say, and "we're glad to give
EN- a chance to see some real war"
h gunners condescend. wen a ma
chine gun mule snorts at q cavalry
"hoss" nowadays.
All of which must make Frederick
Remington's lean. bronzed. handy
legged cavalrymen of the '70s. who
learned to ride with Sheridan and
chased Indians between Texas n the
Dakotas turn over in his grave. Mod
ern war has little place for such as he.
The artillery barrage and the machine
gun have put him out Of business. He
was q fine soldiee while he lasted and
he had a right to be proud. Ths5names
Of cavalry leaders are placed high in
history. but probably there never will
be another name added to that gallant
and ~n1n roll.