South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-04-27

best known opportunity for avia-
ton training Until three months
before the end of the war only Off
GERS and cadets were allowed TO fly
regularly. War department orders
now provide that all men in the air
service spend a specified number OF
hours in the air each month. Little
wonder then. that the air service is
the most attractive branch Of the
army TO present day recruits.
Lacking the romance and the
thrills Of the air game, the quarter
master corps is nevertheless an at
tractive branch. Recruits especial
iy DESTROYS of getting across to
France are enlisting in the Q. NJ. c
For months after the last of the in
iantry and artillery have left France
he quartermaster men will find
plenty Of work abroad.
Cavalry is Third.
The cavalry comes third in popu-
larity. Horses and chargers hold a
large appeal for the youthful sol
der. In the war just closed the
avalry did not get a chance TO get
INTO action until the final days. The
air service did all or most of recon
noitering during trench warfare.
When the Hindenburg line was
smashed. however, the French and
American cavalry got into the open
warfare and served as advance
guards and outpOsts for the tri-
umphant allies. Uncle Sam had
about rs cavalry regiments in this
country and abroad during the war.
TIE regiments in this country were
stationed for the most part along the
Mexican border Two outfits policed
| the canal zone and the remainder
took care of the Huns who had been
| captured. Cavalrymen served as
military police and remount guard
! ians in France.
Unless the Mexicans along the Rio
Grande become suddenly and unex-
pectedly peaceful L. S. cavalry regi-
ments will be supplied with excite
ment and work for some time to
come. Bandits along the Rio Grande
! get frequent raidine fevers and
come across the river two or three
| times a month to shoot up a settle
ment. Then the An erican cavalry
gets into action. y pursuit is be
gun by a squadron or two of Yanks
| and ends only when American
| cattle are returned and the Mexicans
pay the penalty.
Chance for Mechanics
The motor transport corps. organ
| lied less than year ago. was orig
! inally part of the qUartermaster
| corps. tIalf a dozen Of South Bend s
! recent recruits who are mechanical
! ~ inclined. joined this service. The
! idea OF a motor transport corps first
came into the minds OF army Off
/ Gals during the punitive expedition
! into Mexico in the summer Of 1916.
/ Before that time the bulk Of the
/ army's transportation was done by
/ the army mule. When Pershing
started after Villa. however. there
was a shortage of mules. The old
first aero squadron took care Of the
/ situation. That organization boast
ed of 20 trucks and Immediately put
\ them all at the service of the eX-
| petition. The trucks climbed cactus
! hills and crossed alkaline Mexican
! deserts with greater speed and big
ger burdens than the best OF army
| mules could ever have done. The
! trucks were a success. They set
| Pershing TO thinking and the result
was that hundreds were at once or
dered for immediate use in the quar-
! termaster corps Three hundred
truck trains were formed in the
southern department shortly after
| the outbreak Of the war and hun
I dre5s OF other trains were organized
as national army outfits modified
Last July army officials in France,
realizing the growth of the army
: transport service. decided TO take
trucks and motor vehicles from the
quartermaster corps and the motor
| transport corps was the result.
| Training schools for meH OF this
| service were organized at all can
tonments and an immense motor
| transport concentration point was
esta blished at Montgomery Ala
| Daredevil motorcycle riding was en-
/ couraged at these schools. At one
dispatch bearers school al Fort sam
I Houston. Texas. riders leaped over
$50 feet through the air on motor
cycle Jumps. Now that the war Is
over recklessness is taboo. but there
is still fascination galore for the ad-
venturous in the NJ. T. c.
The infantry still holds its attrac-
tons, Several OF the late South
Bend recruits have started out 20 be
doughboys. In the new order these
men will be sent 10 do garrison duty
along the border or else will go 20
the Philippines Little need be said
of the infantry. More than any
other one branch the doughboys got
] the greatest share OF publicity in the