Texas Preview

ARMY & NAVY

Only organization allowed to fly its flag over the U. S. Capitol is the American War Mothers. Only time War Mothers are allowed to exercise their privilege is Nov. 11. Last week War Mothers' President Mrs. Irving Fairweather watched the flag hoisted by the Veterans of Foreign Wars' Chief Lobbyist Millard Rice. The hoisting was followed by a speech from Florida's onetime (1933-37) Governor David Sholtz, a rendering of The Unknown Soldier, composed by the late Secretary of the Treasury William H. Woodin, by the U. S. Navy School of Music Band. Thus observed in the nation's capital last week, the 19th Anniversary of the end of the World War was more or less similarly celebrated throughout the rest of the U. S. Meanwhile in Texas last week the largest motorized army maneuvers ever held in the Western Hemisphere were reaching their climax.

Consequence of the Texas maneuvers, which started two months ago, is likely to be a wholesale reorganization of the U. S. Army. What went rolling over Texas' dusty roads last week, sometimes by day in a cloud of dust, sometimes at night with an endless, ominous growl of motors, was something the like of which not only Texas but no one else in the U. S. had ever seen before. It was the "P. I. D."--Proposed Infantry Division--which, under consideration for two years, was being tested for the first time under combat conditions.

During the War, an infantry division consisted of about 22,000 men, divided into two infantry brigades of two infantry regiments each, one field artillery brigade usually of three regiments. It moved mainly on foot. Two years ago, U. S. Chief of Staff Malin Craig decided that engineering and mechanical progress had made the infantry division obsolete, asked his staff for a report on a new unit to embody all changes in power, transport and armament mechanization since the War. Result of his demand, the P. I. D. consists of 13,500 officers and men, contains three unbrigaded infantry regiments, one artillery regiment of four battalions. Most important characteristic of the P. I. D. is its ability to march entirely on wheels. Slogging along on foot, an old style division does well to cover 18 miles a day. Last week the P. I. D. covered 326. When reports of its maneuvers have been studied at Washington, the War Department may abolish the old style division entirely, streamline the whole army in similar units if and when it can get the money to cover the prodigious cost.

Not to be confused with ordinary corps area maneuvers, held annually, the Texas war games started when the first completely motorized division in U. S. Army history encamped at Fort Sam Houston under the command of 60-year-old Major General James K. Parsons. First six weeks were devoted to a series of imaginary battles against a "Red" Army which the P. I. D., split up into small details, functioned successfully in attack, retreat, flank and encirclement maneuvers. Last week the P. I. D. had had time to become sufficiently well coordinated to show what it could really do in the way of rapid motion. On Nov. 8, after a breakfast of 12,000 apples, 24,000 eggs, 560 Ib. of coffee, the P. I. D., operating with 10,000 men set out from San Antonio in three columns to bivouac grounds 150 miles farther North. Two successive night marches, made in complete darkness except for the lights of cars leading columns, enabled it to catch the slow-moving Red army at Mineral Wells. P. I. D. roundly defeated it in a sham engagement of which one result was the capture of real horses and mules for which P. I. D. had no earthly use. Next day, its task accomplished, the "streamlined division" turned back to San Antonio. Texas traffic laws do not limit the length of moving rows of cars. In one huge serpentine column which stretched out to 65 miles long at a speed of 30-35 rn.p.h., the P. I. D.'s 1,180 supply trucks, passenger cars, motorcycles, reconnaissance cars, anti-aircraft trucks and baggage trailers roared over the 326 miles in record time of 12 hr. 55 min.

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