ever heavily loaded. But there are differences in persons, as you well know. You must take these differences into account. Some people have urged that you should select and train your scouts -company, platoon, and squad-only from among those soldiers who can swim well, arguing that patrols out alone must often swim in order to accomplish their mission. There is much sense in such a theory. Yet it does seem that this would be distorting things to adopt it as a policy. You would be getting soldier swimmers instead of swimming soldiers. The most reasonable solution appears to be to give special attention to your scouts and make sure that they can swim well. Select them as scouts because they know and can apply scouting and patrolling principles and technique, and then teach them to swim well. In the Army tactics are much more important than aquatics, however important aquatics may be. Some people have advocated dividing a company into groups and arranging to use them so according to their swimming ability: (a) Good. (b) Indifferent. (c) Bad. That may do, but it has two bad results: (1) It breaks up the fundamental unit, which was created and under all conditions should be maintained, for military purposes of "instruction, discipline, control, and order." (2) It fosters an early lapse in instruction, which should be persistent and thorough until all-or nearly all know how to swim. It appears that at present about 25 per cent of our personnel do not know how to swim at all. I believe that this 25 per cent can be taught, or at least 24.9 per cent. I believe that of the 75 per cent who are swimmers everyone can be trained to a water efficiency suitable for military purposes. My observations may be too limited for such exact statements ex cathedra. I recall the words of Thomas Hardy: "It is only those who half know a thing that write about it." At any rate, it seems reasonable to suppose that the non-swimmers and the poor swimmers in any one squad will-after a thorough course of instruction-not number more than two. Accept this as a maximum, for it probably is a maximum. Now, with two per squad what are we going to do? Your company meets conditions where swimming is necessary. You proceed in business-like fashion as follows: Halt, and take up a position covering the opposite bank. Every man empties his canteen and reverses his equipment so that the pack is in front of him. The scouts of the leading platoon or section go over and reconnoiter the opposite bank, and advance far enough ahead to insure a safe crossing for the company. They signal that all is clear. There are now six men in each squad left behind, for the scouts have crossed. (In those squads whose scouts are not ahead, i. e., some of the rear units--the scouts can swim well, so we need not worry about them any more.) Suppose we have our maximum of two non-swimmers. Each squad then has four swimmers and two non-swimmers. They can cross by having the two swimmers assist those who can not swim. In threes they go over, a non-swimmer, between two swimmers. The non-swimmer rests one hand on the shoulder and grasps with in it the haversack strap of each of his Dotard, a-dozing at the very nonce, If the unit which crosses is smaller, say a patrol, the procedure will be slightly different. In accordance with the fundamental principles of scouting and patrolling, one man must cross first alone, while the others are in position. to protect him with fire. He reconnoiters and signals "Safe." The others then cross one at a time. So all scouts must be swimmers. Just because your men can swim, though, do not make them do it when on campaign unless it is really necessary. Look for a bridge or a ford and use that if you can. Yet, a patrol may want to avoid such places as too likely to be watched. A company or platoon may have to keep reasonably within its sector and so neglect them. So, when circumstances demand that you cross a stream too deep for wading, swimming may yet often be necessary. The If general situation may say: "The Conewago is not fordable." And it frequently isn't. Still, you have to cross. Sir William Robertson tells of a stream in India: "In the absence of a bridge of any kind the natives crossed on a "shinaz," or inflated hide of an ox or goat. Striding across this and passing each leg through a loop hanging down like a stirrup leather, the rider lays his chest upon the hide and plunges into the current, paddling with the arms and legs. If you find a lot of inflated hides conveniently provided with stirrups and left at hand for your use, of course you can use them. but they will be there only one time in a million. If there is a sawmill nearby-which, in all probability, there will not be have your company ride the logs. If there is a fortunate pile of lumber, make a raft. If there is a long rope, send one end across to be made fast to a tree, if it is long enough and if there is a tree, and the men can pull themselves along beside that, hand over hand, partly by swimming and partly by tugging at the rope. If there is a ferry-boat-well, all the if's in the world will not get you across a stream that you can not cross except by swimming unless your company can swim. Teach them to swim. Teach them by "the confidence method," which has been found good. The equipment you will need is simple and limited and can readily be improvised in large numbers-a pole, a rope and a belt. Away with life preservers and especially with water-wings. The waterwing is of small value. It supports the swimmer too well and does not throw him on his own resources and compel him to develop a powerful stroke of his own. It does not gradually ease up its aid when the man learns a little here and there. He can use it alone; he can not so use the pole and rope. He must not be alone. His partner must always be with him, watching and directing him. Swimming is of value as a sport, for recreation, for morale, for physical exercise, for developing spirited competitions, for interest and pleasure. Yes; still if this were all, I should not have written this paper. I conceive that its I chiefest value is to meet a military necessity. If you will instruct your men well in swimming and train them well in how to apply their swimming ability when the circumstances of a field campaign so require, you will have accomplished something of military value. And all these things, exercise, morale, and the rest, shall be added unto you. You will know that your troops can go everywhere. Your aim will have been accomplished, and your mission can be accomplished. The Insubordinate Fowl Hiking through the small French town, an ignorant chicken, unversed in the appetites of American darkies, crossed the road in front of a colored detachment. With much zeal a doughboy broke forth from the ranks and set off in pursuit. "Halt!" bellowed the officer in charge. Both fowl and negro only accelerated their paces. "Halt! Halt!" repeated the officer. The dusky doughboy made one plunge, grasped the chicken by the neck and stuffed it, still struggling, inside his shirt. "Dere!" he panted, "Ah'll learn you to halt when de captain say halt, you disobedient bird."-Here and There with 31st. e I Col. George S. Goodale, 29th Infantry N completion of the present target season it was found that the 29th Infantry had made such improvement in the percentage of those qualifying over the results obtained in the season 1921 that it was believed that a new record had been established for the Army. However, from records of other Infantry regiments and battalions as published in the JOURNAL and service papers, it appears that a number of others entertained the same idea in reference to their respective units and organizations. Judging from published accounts it would appear that results have been most satisfactory all along the line, and that there has been the most decided improvement over previous years. In the 29th Infantry the improvement in regimental average over 1921 has been well over 30 per cent. In analyzing the results obtained in these two seasons (1921 and 1922), the following are believed to be the main reasons for the improvement: (a) A more thorough knowledge and more correct application of principies laid down in Rifle Marksmanship. (b) Giving each soldier firing the record course, a better chance to train. (c) An improvement in the personal attention of officers in giving special attention to backward men and those who have already learned incorrect methods. Officers throughout the service who have been on duty at the Infantry School are best able to compare the conditions at Benning with those under which their respective units and organizations fired their record practice this year. The object of this paper is not to seek and find alibis for not doing better, but to learn if possible lessons that may assist in obtaining even better results in future years. For those who have not been at Benning, it may be well to state that the regiment took their record practice this year under the following favorable and unfavorable conditions: Favorable. Generally favorable weather conditions; close proximity of ranges; as far as practicable relieving the battalion on the range from guard, fatigue, demonstrations and tests, and having these duties performed by the remainder of the regiment. The time element, number of targets available and number of men firing and demonstration work made it desirable and necessary to send one battalion to the range at a time. Unfavorable.-Inability to give certain soldiers a chance to train, because they were on special duty or on specialist work at the Post, Infantry School or in the regiment, the nature of that duty not permitting replacements. Organizations of the regiment fired the record course with the following results: Percentage of qualifications 20 77 80.0 83.8 93.2 94.7 74 Company A.. 171 Company B.. 99.4 Company C. 92.0 Hq. Co. 2d Bn.. 66 Company E. 133 97.0 100.0 Company F. Company G. Hq. Co. 3d Bn. Company I.. Company K. Company L. The table is given in full to better illustrate certain points which it is believed are essential if a uniform high standard is to be attained throughout any regiment and from which it is believed that as far as this regiment is concerned, an improvement can be obtained next year by paying special attention to those conditions which undoubtedly caused relative low percentages this year. Among the companies in the battalions it is not believed that any company experienced any advantage or disadvantage in the matter of weather conditions or availability of their men for preliminary training and practice on the range, and the difference must therefore be attributed to the thoroughness of training and the amount of personal attention given by company officers in discovering errors and correcting them in time. While all officers and non-commissioned officers were thoroughly versed in Rifle Marksmanship prior to going on the range and apparently all were following prescribed methods of training, there must always be a difference among officers in their ability to arouse interest in a subject and by personal attention correct those seemingly small errors which if allowed to creep in will invariably mean the loss of a certain per cent of qualification. We therefore will be more careful next year, that notwithstanding the large number of men who fire for record that every officer be impressed with the absolute necessity of paying special attention to those men of the organization who are doubtful, or who indicate by their work that there is something wrong. It is positively known that in the case of at least two company commanders who made among the highest records, that they always kept themselves in close touch with the work done by each man firing; as soon as any man wavered they immediately sought and found the cause, and did not leave the man until he not only knew his error but how to correct it, and that he did correct it. In other words, they gave assistance to those who most needed it and without thereby jeopardizing the chances of those who did not specially require it. In the case of the Regimental Headquarters Company and the Service Company the failure to make a higher percentage of qualification is easily determined. The officers of these companies were so much occupied with other duties that they could not give this particular form of training the same exclusive attention given by the officers of the other companies. For the time that they could spare from other duties administrative, demonstrations, etc.-they worked under the additional disadvantage that it |