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LESSON LEARNED FROM GREAT WAR Necessity of th Conservation of the Hone Brought Home to Americans by Depletion of Our Stock BY ROBERT E DUNDON First Lieutenant F A V S A R C One lesson learned from tli6 war is the necessity of tlie conservation of bur good friend the horse Somewhat neglected during the decade of gasoline which preceded hostilities and warred upon by an clement closely identified with the advocates of peace at any price it is not surprising that when the United States became actively engaged foreign shipments of a n already reduced supply hadi made it a serious problenv for the army to obtain essential remounts and artillery animals animalsJt Jt is the writers belief that the average Ameri ¬ can is profoundly concerned with his patriotic duty lie wants to assist in every way to maintain those high standards set by the greatest army cve assembled now in the way of becoming the Amcri can Legion the most potential Instrumentality for progress ever launched fnthe United States This same average American is not going to take tips f rom propagandists who up to a short time ago were devoting their energies to the enervation of America but when it comes to advice he will listen listeno o the specialists of the war and navy departments departmentshe he commanders who carried through so magnifi ¬ cently when they were called upon 4n a world crisis An uninformed person naturally associates the horse with cavalry Almost exclusively If he thinks of the artillery he generally has an idea that it plods along back of the infantry which in turn turnollows ollows up the thin line t f cavalry scouts This may have been true even as late as the Civil War in isolated campaigns but modern intensive fighting has placed such a stress upon the artillery arm that it is the most vital element ta both attaqk and defense jVVithout adequate artillery prepara tion a forward movement of troops against a forti ¬ fied position even one held only by machine gun ¬ ners is a foreordained slaughter It was the pre ¬ ponderance of artillery which forced the issue in inavor avor of hej Dallies and saved a hundred thousand American lives and the artillery depends for its1 effectiveness absolutely on an unfailing supply Of horses horsesSo So greatly was this impressed upon the American military directors early in the European drive that an order came from Gen Pershing to the men in charge of the artillery schools to lay every stress upon the care and training of horses In their education of officers to take their places at the western front More hours were devoted to drill with horses both as riders and drivers to their feeding grooming and care and a study of their physiology and ailments than to material conduct of fire or any other branch of the work workAMERICAN AMERICAN FARMS TO BE RESTOCKED RESTOCKEDNow Now that peace has so happily ended i the drain upon our equine resources an intelligent effort to restock American farms can be started The c6 operation of iho departments of war and agricul ¬ ture is assured for this ask State as well as na ¬ tional authorities will aid The biggest body of alumni officers in the country the graduates of the Field Artillery Officers Draining School through their central organization in New York XJity may be relied upon to apply the leaven of knowledge of the needs of the artillery branch in every county in the United States Much has been learned concerning the horse which was unknown prior to lhe assembling of the offif cercandidates at Camp Zachary Taylor The thor oughness of West Point methods of training ha glvcna faitlifuUidca of the armys dependence upon well conditioned and well cared for stock In rebuilding our depleted supply of horses the thoroughbred is prepared to play his part An infusion of the thoroughbred strain is considered essential for the best cavalry and artillery re ¬ mounts Kentucky nursery of the thoroughbred is thej ideal location for this worki Under the dircctiori of the State Racing Commission thoroughbred sires have been placed at various points where they are bred to coldblooded mares the resulting foals being of a superior grade These crossbreds have time and again demonstrated fitness in remount selection Recently a great impetus was given to the de ¬ velopment of the horse through the formation of the Kentucky Jockey Club Its principal members and stockholders are men Who are sportsmen either Interested s owners of stables of running horses and big breeding farms or as admirers of the thor oughbred who appreciate the fact that the horse cannot be properly advanced unless such tests o skill are provided as are given at racing meetings with Derbys and stakes for the younger racers and handicaps for the older division with stress laid upon the necessity of encouraging longdistance rac ing KENTUCKY BEADY TO iEND ITS AID AIDKentucky Kentucky besides taking the lead with its new jockey club is a state where the artillery arm is paramount Camp Henry Knox located at StithtOn in Hnrdin County twentyfive miles from Ixntls ville is an admirable center for artillery training The close alliance between the artillery and the horse already has been pointed out Kentucky and the Kentucky Jockey Club are ready to cooperate with the government in any enterprise for the de ¬ velopment and improvement of the remount supply supplyIt It will be months before all df the loose strands left by the war are gathered in but the recommen ¬ dations of the department heads of the army are certain to receive respectful hearings both ih con ¬ gressional committee and in the press Many of the facts ascertained in the field can only be prop ¬ erly applied after the return from Europe of staff specialists It is certain that the vast fabric created under the stress of war demands will not be wrecked with out saving all essential material for its recon ¬ struction whenever required That is the reason that army camps will be maintained that artillery and rifle ranges will be kept up to a high state of efficiency that aviation centers will never rbe neglected neglectedThrough Through the agency of the Reserve Officers As ¬ sociation under the direction of the war depart incut and with the aid of the American Legion all citizens will be impressed With the work ficcora1 piiShCd by bur National Annyand the necessity of the maintenance of the1 machlhery that could cai it into being in any emergency emergencyMembers Members of the Legion who live in Kentucky Ure all hopeful that when the time comes their state may take a Jfedding part especially as a producing grounfl for all sorts of army remounts for which naturally it Is well jfittud It may be uddttl rimt ithtt protect juf tb location of a government sliu whicli might embrace the better part of tntlrr county ivoiild be welcomed by the IlKiroiiglibreil Horse Association of Kentucky which diring tlie war took a leading part in raising 300OTb for the Amerlcuu jRed Cross and are ready to do their shun at uuy tlm ti promote Ujegeijera1 welfare
