Evening star., 1941-03-13
By CARTER BROOKE JONES,
Star Staff Correspondent.

FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md,
March 13.-The grayish sergeant
looked in silence at the Army truck
1t was stuck tight in slither of the
miles of mud that covered the 29th
Division area today.
The truck crew was stopping
around. placing boards and express
ing their opinion of the mud vividly
Still the sergeant didn't say word
sort of stuck" it was suggested
The sergeant swung about with a
whitening glance. 80 it appears, u
he said.
The mud's bad" we added, trying
to cover up the previous comment
TT amt so bad" he said severely
"It'S them trucks"
Not just the right kind of trucks,
maybe?"
Mules Good Mudders.
We'll" he said, "a trucks truck,
call it a trailer or doodle bug or a
prime mover or what you will" The
sergeant flung a gesture at the mired
vehicle. "The trouble is, friend, the
Army's gone nuts on this here
mechanization. Everything got to
have a motor. I wouldn't be sur
prised any day to see 'em produce a
general made out of a carburetor
and a few cylinders.
ME" he explained. "I used to be
mule skinner. Would you believe
it? Yeah I was a mule skinner
down at the border" He paused and
looked away absently. do you
think" he asked "a mule would
ever have maneuvered hisself into
that spot?" He pointed to the minor
quicksand into which the front and
rear wheels of the truck had buried
themselves. Not him. He'd of
knowed where to take a wagon.
Mules are good mudders. They
don't get stuck"
Mind you" he added, ct don't say
a mule amt got his faults. I'm not
denying that. He's often got fixed
opinion of what he wants to do and
where he wants to go, and it may
conflict directly with your ideas. In
that case, it's best to give into him,
because you amt going to convince
him anyway, and you'll be wasting a
lot of good swearing that might ac-
complish something somewhere else.
But if you leave him be. he'll gen.
orally get there. He won't step in
no 9-foot mud holes like that con-
trivance."
The sergeant lighted a cigarette.
"a mule" he affirmed, has sense
plenty. A truck amt got no more
than its driver. which sometimes
amt enough to mention in dis
patches. If you leave a mule alone
you'll get where you're going. MIND
you, I don't say. when you'll gel
there. I admit-and wouldn't be
a jughead third class not to?-l
admit trucks a whole lot faster
A Place for Mules.
And he added: I'm even willing
to admit a convoy of trucks is swell
going on a paved highway. But
what they don't realize is that there's
places where mules and horses is a
whole lot more efficient. They think
they can put a motor on anything
and take it any place. That's where
the Army's bugs. A couple of mules
will take your ammunition wagon
up a mountain. You can strap
machine guns on their backs and
they'll take 'em down a trail as slick
as soap without ever stumbling.
"Why, those animals used to haul
field guns places where an Indian
wouldn't have trusted hisSelf. Yet
we amt got horse or a mule in this
camp. I wish we had"
The grayish sergeant looked at his
wrist watch. Il got to be going
friend. Well, it'll be o. K. if we fight
this next war on paved streets ano
concrete roads. But if the enemy
takes a notion to move in on us from
the backwoods or the mountains, !
don't know what we'll do. But I'll
risk a small bet they start drafting
some lop-eared selectees with four
steady feet"
1AiC SCl SColIe "OulOll "dlC W SCC
but they got that truck out, not
with old-faShioned boards, but with
one of those small, invincible bull
dozers - tractors with caterpillar
treads that are hard to stop any
where.
Training Program Slowed.
The training program of the Ma
tional Guardsmen from the District
Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylva-
mia was slowed up to some extent
by the mud, though numerous out
fits were pursuing their outdoor
drills and strategies persistently if
sloppily.
The 12lSt Engineers, from Wash
ington, have just received several OF