The Washington times., 1924-11-18
CUTS.
WAY through
IUVGLES
Startling Marches IN Panama
Zone and Philippine islands
Made BY TWO Regiments
BY LLOYD LEHRBAS,
1nternatlonaI News service.

Piercing dank jungles in the
Philippines and making epochal
marches across the junglas and mo-
raises Of the Isthmus Of Panama
provide the American artilIerynaan
with romance and adventure, even
n this day Of proaaic, systematized
efficiency IN warfare, according to
the annual report OF Major General
William ], Show, chief Of Field Ar
tilLery. to this War Department,
During the last year numerous
Trips have been made into the Jun
giea BY the different batteries az
the Fourth Field Artillery, stationed
az Gatiiii, In the Canal Zone.
one such trip constituted the
crossing Of the iathnnus Nv a com
plete battery--th first time any
unit OF the American army has
marched entirely across the 18th,
Objects Of Trips.
The offset Of the trip was to de-
termine the feasibility OF trans-
porting artillery from the Atlantic
70 the Pacific by means Of pack
transportation.
Ine march only sixty-five miles
was accomplished after twenty.
three Gays Of most difficult going.
On some days only q few miles
could be made, due to the difficult
terrain and to the large amount
q bridge building and trail clearing
through the tangled underground,
which had to be done by the mel..
Actually, they had to cut their way
through the forest primeval.
In the Philippines, the Twenty.
fourth Field Artillery, stationed at
Camp Stotsenburg, conducted ex.
tensiye explorations into the un.
known country In the interior to
improve the artillery target.range
and TO open q trail from Camp
Stotsenhurg to the west coast az
the Island Of Luzon. AS far az
known, they were the first troops
70 reach the summit Of Mount
Pinatuha.
The Importance Of this explora.
ton work cannot be overeetimated,
according to General Snow. as It
keeps the artillery in excellent
condition for service. The trail
also should prove Of material value
to commercial interests.
Over an Old Trail.
During the last year the Twenty.
fourth Field Artillery also corn
pieted a march over the old Govern.
ment trail. known as the ''Eba
Trail" from Camp Stotsenburg to
Dlongapo, the naval station, by
way OF O'Donnell. Jungle growth
had ohiiterated the old trail, and
the construction Of q new one was
necessary.
The field artillery made good
progress last year, according to the
report Of General Snow, but there
is a need for greater attention to
the organized reserves.
In event of war 10000 field artil-
lery officers would be needed, and
only 1889 reserve officers are now
enrolled. There were 23,393 field
artillery officers in service during
the world war, Twenty units OF the
r. o. +. G. are now in operation,
and during the last year 6,434 stu.
dents were enrolled, an increase of
nearly 400 over the preceding year.
The report also shows an In
creased activity in field artillery In
national guard units. Upon the out
break of the world war there were
541 officers and 1895 enlisted men.
The expansion, as a result Of the
war, called for 3.247 officers and
1877 enlisted men, and at present
there are eight brigades u divi.
sionaI field artillery and ten regi.
ments of corps artillery, with a to-
tai strength of 2,159 officers and
81, 200 men.