El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-01-26

" VlIa the announcement from
Y" Washington. D. c. Dec. II,
1917, that United States was
70 have an entire division of cavalry
to be placed under command of Gen.
Pershing in France, and that the di-
vision was to be formed at FL Paso,
this city and Fort Bliss took on addi-
tional activity. Within a short time
Mai Gen. George W. Read and staff
officers arrived and the matter of or
ganization was begun by Gen. Read.
Counting artillery and other auxil-
liaries. the division is composed OF
1900 men. all OF whom have been
under intensive training since the ar
rival here OF their several units.
FL Paso was chosen for the forma-
ton Of the cavalry division because
results obtained in training OF cav
airy units have always been particu-
larly satisfactory at Fort Bliss. In
addition TO this. the ability displayed
by FL Pasoans in handling over $4,000
additional national guardsmen sent
here in 1915, was well remembered
and IL was known that the sudden ar
rival of some 1900 troops would not
catch FL Paso unprepared-
Location has made Fort Bliss the
most important Of all border posts
also the center of the FL Paso mill
tary district which extends from Ari-
iona on the west to Polvo. Texas.
near old Fort Hancock. Because Of
the broad district and several posts
10 be supplied from this city the e.
Paso army supply depot is the largest
between san Francisco and San An
tonic All supplies are distributed
through the FL PasO quartermaster s
department. 1t has been the policy
OF the government, because Of the
completeness Of local wholesale and
retail merchants stocks in all lines.
TO make heavy purchases here, a
source OF much revenue to local deal
ers. Mai ]. a Wagner is district
and division quartermaster since
Mai Gen George W Read succeeded
Col HoratiO G. Sickel as commander
Of the FL Paso military district
Is Made Distributing Point.
During the presence of national
guardsmen here several additional
warehouses Of large dimensions were
built which are being used for sup
plies distributed to new training
camps established in this district
since the withdrawal OF guardSmen.
The additional numbers to be cared
for by the Organization OF the cav
airy division has caused the half
dozen big stOrehouses here to become
the base Of even larger supplies Re
Ctnllg 1AdI JalutS 4AEdAtAs utpOl
quartermaster had assisting him
some two dozen captains supplied
from the officers reserve corps, who
have charge of the different depart
ments. There are also three majors
and the same number Of lieutenants
connected with this department. al
though the force is seldom the same
for any considerable length of time,
military requirements at the pres
ent time causing many changes and
transfers Of officers and men
Due to the increased activities oc-
casiOned by war and the fact that
FL Paso is the principal base Of sup
plies for the $4,000 recruits Of the ma
tional army located at Camp Cody.
Deming, y. NJ, a spur track has been
laid TO the Fort Bliss reservation con-
Meeting the local army depot with the
Southern Pacific at Alfalfa, Texas.
For some time there has been talk
Of rather extensive yards at the res
ervatiOn, but as yet no work done
other than the spur finished some
months ago. The siding installed will
save a considerable amount of work
by eliminating the transfer of freight