Los Angeles herald., 1891-09-21

nomination OF officers left to the chief
executive of the state, who will issue
commissions only after the aspirants
have passed a satisfactory examination
before a competent board of officers.
The great desideratum of the regular
service is an efficient body of non-com-
missioned officers. The want is also
keenly felt in the national guard. Col
onels OF regiments should hold once a
week a school for commissioned officers
and strictly require their captains to
hold the same for their non-commis-
stoned officers.
"The time has come for stronger
and closer union between the federal
government and the national guards of
the country. To promote and foster
this relation and increase the efficiency
of the guard, recommend that the cap
tains and first lieutenants of the skele-
ton companies of the army be detailed
as adiutants of the different regiments
of the national guard, so that every
militia regiment will have a regular
army officer for its adjutant, which de-
tail will last four years. As a further
step toward this more intimate union,
l recommend that the central govern
ment completely arm, clothe and equip
the guard in every state in the union,
and that the said states defray the cost
of transporting the troops to and from
the summer encampments, subsisting
them while in camp, and in addition
pay the soldier fair days wages, allow
ing the officers the pay of the grade
actually held by them as prescribed by
the army. Very respectfully, your obe-
Captain First United States In
fantry."
Colonel Schneider was interviewed yes
terday regarding the several recommen-
dations made by Captain O'Connell. He
spoke substantially as follows: 81 con-
slider the report very good one, and so
far as that portion criticising the Sew
enth regiment is concerned l can say
that am very we'll pleased with it.
'Some Of the recommendation made
by Captain O'Connell are very good in
deed, and in the main fully agree with
him. There are several points to be
made against some of his ideas. For
instance, / do not believe it ould be for
the best interests of the guard to take
the power of electing commissioned Off
GERS from the companies.
In many things the militia is neces-
sarily run under different regulations
from those governing the regular army,
and to my mind the appointment of a
man to captaincy in company, to the
members of which he might be an
utter stranger or some one whom they
disliked, would lead to a great amount
of dissatisfaction. l believe the officers
should be elected as they are now.
II do not agree with Captain O'Con
nell that the adjutant of each regiment
should be regular army officer. That
office should be as it is now, an appoint
i've one, go that the colonel of each regi
ment may choose for his chief of staff a
man whom he can feel assured is in SYM
pathy with him.
''The proper thing in my estimation
would be to have regular army officer
detailed as nspector-geneIal. Ii that
could be done, better results would be
achieved. Under the present state of
things the adjutant-generaPs Office un-
dergoes change with every election,
and the result is change of ideas every
time new man goes in. The Office
should be taken out of politics and an
army officer detailed and allowed to re-
main."