Evening star., 1939-07-30


by those having charge Of the prepa-
rations for the approaching Army
maneuvers, In Northern Virginia to
avoid any serious casualties through
the use Of ball ammunition. OF
course, there will be blanks to be
fired to make the war games more
realistic, but under no circum-
stances will there be need of any
ball ammunition for any purpose.
Omcers, however, are fully cog
infant Of the fact that sometimes,
either through mistake or careless
ness, some Of this does get into the
field, and, perhaps, unnoticed by
those handling the packages 1t may
get into 4 rife unnoticed. On the
other hand, there is the possibility
OF some lad with an experimental
mind trying to get q bullet or two
into the field to observe its effect,
forgetting for the moment that the
spread Of thousands of troops over
a wide area make a real danger.
Organization commanders, begin
ming with company, troop, battery
and air squadron commanders, are
to be held responsible that no ball
ammunition is in the possession OF
troops at any time. AS a further
precaution, no ammunition of any
kind Is to be taken to the maneuvers
from the home stations Of Regular
Army or National Guard by COM
pany, troop or battery organizations.
Such blank ammunition as may be
on hand at home stations Of the
Regular Army units is to be COL
lected by the regimental supply
ofhcers and turned over to the di-
vision ordnance officers before the
opening Of the maneuvers.
Furthermore. there is provided,
at frequent intervals, inspections of
all units, which is to include rifle
chambers, bolts, pockets, ammuni-
ton containers and other places,
and specifically including the blank
ammunition required to be on hand.
These inspections are to be certified
IN writing by the inspectors and the
reports are to be turned over to the
next higher commanders. These
examinations will be made before
the units leave the home stations.
within "A hours after arrival at ma
neuver camp, Immediately before
departure from camp for any and all
training exercises. In the latter
cases the certificates of inspection
must be delivered to the umpires
before the units will be permitted
to leave the reservation for the
maneuvers.
The National Guard units, under
division orders, will not take into
the field any pistols. no chemical
warfare material or gas masks
Each machine gun company is to
take four machine guns and each
IS nm. regiment will take "A guns.
While the maneuvers are to be
based on actual conditions, which
the trainees might expect to fnd in
the field under real war conditions,
nevertheless they have been eau
toned that the personnel must be
courteous in dealing with civilians
at all times, and particularly in the
operation of motor vehicles as we'll
as private-owned vehicles by per-
sonnel in Uniform.
Orders are that State and city
trafilc regulations must be observed
to prevent accidents and "by ex-
ample assist in establishing and
maintaining courtesy in driving"
Personnel operating motor vehicles
are to be held personally response
BILE for operating within the required
speed limits, and to assist the en-
listed personnel in carrying out this
admonition, the orders state that
higher ranking personnel riding in
motor vehicles operated by others
will refrain from requesting or di-
recting speeds in excess of speed
limits" National Guard personnel,
the order further states, should at
all times, by example, suggest cour-
tesy, care and safey in the opera
ton Of motor vehicles.
Quite an array of Regular Army
personnel has been ordered to the
maneuver area for various duties,
including instruction and umpiring
during the battle maneuvers which
are expected to cover four days of
the two-week camp period. During
the actual war games the troops will
have to give up their heavy tentage
homes and live for that period in
pup tents, which require sleeping on
the ground. This, it was explained,
Is made necessary as in carrying out
the battle program the troops will
be constantly on the move, and will
be required to make camp wherever
night overtakes them.
The Regular Army personnel as
signed to the local militia include:
Special Troops. Goth Division, Mai.
Lloyd Zupann. United States Infan-
try; l2lst Engineers. Capts. Edward
H. Walter, James N. Kruger and
William F. M. Longwell, all OF the
United States Corps of Engineers;
260th Coast Artillery, 1t. Coils. Sam
uel F. Hawkins, Wilmar S. Phillips
and Maj. Nelson Dingley, Sd, all of
the United States Corps of En-
gineers; 104th Quartermaster Regi-
ment, Majs. Herbert H. Blackwell
and Douglas NJ. Griggs, both of the
Coast Artillery Corps.
Preparations are being made to
dispatch a composite company of
the local militia to the New York