Mount Vernon signal. (Mt. Vernon, Ky.) 18??-current, 1920-01-16
PRODUCTION OF THoRouoH.
BREEDS MUST BE EN-.
couRAGED.
PRESENT SUPPLY IS SHORT
Army Would Need One Animal for
Every Two Men Should We Be
Called Upon to Engage In
Military Operation for
Any Reason.

Chittu DtutCo s' $500
maintaining horse breeding and
supply scheme sfor the future forces
of national defense may be had by
study of the reports Of the remoun,
officers of the A. Z. r., for the period
of 1917-191S. II was found In France
that the old theory that the prop
osition of horse strength to man
strength In armies should be two to
nye was erroneous. One horse for
every two men was needed. To their
establishment the officers Of the re-
mount service, many Of whom had
never seen the inside Of military
text book until few weeks before
they received their commissions. dis
covered that six hundred horses were
-reguiiredi- syUfu,- sfugis hrfaUtfy
regiment OF war strength, that is s.
regiment OF 5000 to 3S00, men.
1t was next to impossible to obtain
horses In sufficient numbers TO
properly equip even the artillery,
transport and ambulance services OF
the A. +. f., because for u period OF
two years before the participation OF
the United States In the conflict the
entente allies had been draining the
country Of horses Of all sorts and
kinds. The A. e. r, had NJ cavalry.
Modern Armies Are Large.
Nowadays armies are reck0ned, by
hundreds Of thousands II not BY
millions. The strength OF single
division Of the A. e. f., was greater
in men and horses than the biggest
army commanded by Stonevall jack.
son In his entire career. The com
bined armies Of Lee and Seades thar
took part in the struggle 4 Gettys-
hnrs,- could haze dove 80 49, y.
titanic conflict that terminated last
November than hold two-score of
miles of the western front. II the
United States were called to arms.
whether to defend some interest
peculiarly our own or to fulfill 4
League of Nations obligation. the
mobilization of from 100000 to 1,0OO.-
900 soldiers might be necessary. II
the old theory that the correct pro-
portion of horse strength to man
strength in armies was still accepted
by military opinion, 100000 horses
would be required for the QUILTING of
half a million soldiers, 100000 for the
QUILTING of force Of 100000 and,
II an army of half million or "a
million soldiers had to be kept In the
field In q state Of military efficiency
reserve of +O0,OO0 to 100000 would
be necessary. If the future military
forces of the United States are to BE-
QUILTED with horses on one to two
basis with adequate reserves. ana
such scheme of Quitting would be
necessary If the armies Of the United
States were to attempt Intervention
European interests In the maintenance
of the Monroe Doctrine, 1t will be
necessary to provide an Immediate
mobilization force of from 250,OOO to
100000 with reserves equally strong.
Today the United States could not
properly outfit with horses an ARM
of 100000 soldiers. There are horses
In the country, many of them. Bur
they are mostly draught horses-Nor-
ID.
mans, ercherOns. .lydes1aies. Bel.
gians, Shires, etc.--whOse military use
fulness is limited to the dragging OF
heavy artillery. Horses of these
types are not in the least serviceabl'
to mobile army. or an army Of
maneuver, as the new phrase de.
scribes an army that must perform
marches of fifteen to twenty miles a
day or retreat quickly II strategy sug-
gests retreat. They are too sluggish
too lacking In spirit. The horses that
are wanted are the light types and Of
these there are so few the aggregat.
may properly he said to be u
negligible quantity In any practical
scheme of national defense. The gas0.
line motor long since made the pro.
ductlon Of this type of horse I'M
profitable. Farmers and stockmen
have ceased to raise light horse In
considerable numbers. The creation Of
new supply must be stimulated by
the United States government. but
nothing the government could do
would suffice II there was any inter
ference with the production Of
thoroughbred stations. Stations Of
the thoroughbred types ere indIspen.
slble because the offspring Of such
stations, whether from mares Of
thoroughbred blood or from mares Of
no particular breeding. proved best
In a half century Of experimentation
conducted In Europe by the great
military powers before the outbreak
of the war of nations and the half
and three-quarter bred outstayed and
Outgamed the representatives OF the
colder breeds under the hard con.
dItlons of actual warfare between
1914 and 1918.
Light Horse Not Raised.
Since II 10 no longer profitable for
farmers and stockmen 10 raise light
harness horses for the market oficers
Of the military service who have