San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-09-30
FIRST CAVALRY.
DIVISION RESTS
ON BORDER TRIP
Troops Halt at Old Adobe
Ruin Called
Atlantic.
COATED WITH ALKALI
Strenuous Maneuvers Due
to Be Resumed
Monday.
Headquarters, First Cavalry Divis.

Headquarters, First Cavalry Diyis.
ion, Atlantic, Tex, Sept. SO.-(Sun-
day)-The First Cavalry Division,
elder command of Maj. Gen. Robert
Lee Howe, is resting here today
after the completion of a weeks
strenuous maneuvers, which were the
most important in peace times in the
history of the United States Army.
But one days rest will be allowed,
as the division is scheduled TO start
new problem tomorrow morning
which will last three days. 1t will
move into Maria next Wednesday,
when, after a days rest, review and
an athletic program will be staged.
The entire division, consisting OF
the First and Second Cavalry Brig
AIDES and auxiliary troops, concentrat-
ed at the John Pool Dam Friday after
the two-sided maneuvers were COM
pleted and marched TO Atlantic yester-
day morning. The march to this
place was conducted as if actual war
existed, advance guards preceding the
division and patrols protecting it from
3 the rear and on each flank. AL
though the mo cement was begun early
yesterday morning, it was not until
well past noon that all troops reached
their destination and pitched camp.
Division Hats at Atlantic.
Alamito, the hating point Of the
First Division before it begins its
march to Maria, is an old adobe ruin
near the crossing of the Atlantic
Creek, one Of those West Texas
streams which flows internationally,
the water disappearing underneath the
sand to raise again a few hundred
yards away. Water was secured here
by the engineers by digging into the
creek bed and allowing it to collect
in the holes. The camp, which is
approximately 81 miles south of
Maria, and about half way between
that town and the Rio Grande, is
connected with the former by trail
of alkali dust which, when not trav-
ersed by troops. is fairly good road.
2uring the troop movements yester-
GaS, however, the roads had entirely
disappeared in a dense cloud of dust
and it was impossible to see more
than q few feet ahead. In fact, the
men, when they arrived in camp, were
so well coated with the alkali that
y they very closely resembled their
brown-skinned neighbors across the
Rio Grande.
While the troops and horses were
allowed to rest this morning the Off
GERS of the division were not SO for
tunate. as they were summoned TO at
tend an official "critique," which
in plain language, is a conference.
Major General Howe, Major General
Il. NJ. Lewis, commander of the
Eighth Corps Area. Majar General
Ernest L. Kinds. Brigadier General
Paul Malone, Brigadier General Jo-
seph Castner. Colonel Walter c.
Short, division staff officers and
observers and umpires were present.
The object of the conference was to
discuss the weeks maneuvers with a
view not only to criticizing the mis-
takes. but to commend the officers
for their achi vements.
"At Ii Again" Soon.
The younger officers of the divis.
ion particularly are expected to prof
il materially by the discussions held
az the conference.
Tomorrow morning the division will
be "at it again." The general sit
uation. which is continuous for the
remainder OF the maneuvers, is that
the First Cavalry Division is in a
hostile country. having advanced from
the Rio Grande via Shafter to the
north.
Enemy forces have been reported
near Maria and Alpine. The divis-
+ ion, therefore, will advance north
from Atlantic, driving before it and
capturing, if possible, the enemy
: trclps.
During this period service ammuni-
ton will be used in the los. machine
guns, automatic rifles and pistols. The
engineers and .dinaIce companies TO-
day, were engaged in putting out
silhouette" targets. which will rep
resent the enemy forces. Airplanes
also will be used in working out a
problem of fire control.
The weather, which has been ideal
during the maneuvers. underwent a
change yesterday afternoon, when a
"wet nrther" blew up. forcing the
men TO seek shelter. 1t is not be-
lieved. however, that IL will interfere
seriously with the remainder of the
problem.