Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-22
BIG MILITARY MOVE,
An Effort to Organize the State Mill
tia in One Great Army.
REGULAR OFFICERS WORKING 1T.
The Entire National Guard to Be Under
Control of Congress.
PROPOSED PLAN OF ORGANIZATION

ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPATcH.1
ST. LOUIS, Aug. 21.-The officers of the
army are endeavoring to consolidate the
militia of the several States into one organ
ization to act as an auxiliary to the regular
army should occasion require it. This fact
was made known at the encampment of the
Missouri National Guard at st. Joe last
week, but has been kept secret by the mill
tary men interested until to-day. A day or
two before the tents of Camp Wick
ham were struck Colonel Milton Moore
called together all the soldiers who were in
camp and said that two officers of the army
wished to address them upon subject OF
prime importance to the militia The ofi-
GERS were Lieutenant Robert E. Evans, Of
the Twelfth Infantry, and Lieutenant
Joseph R. Bachelor, of the TwentY-fourth
Infantry.
The two soldiers broached their PROPOSE
tion with great enthusiasm. A constitution
of the Association of the National Guard Of
the United States was produced. 1t was
printed on long sheets, which were dis
tributed among the militiamen. Tho OBJ
jects of the proposition were declared to be
Ito provide for the defense of the United
States"
NATIONALIzISG THE GUARD.
''To that end to actually and practically
nationalize the National Guard of the var
ious States in such a manner that the COM
panies, troops and batteries thereof, as such
in the National Guard of the
United States, remaining during
peace under State control, being
in war Immediately available for national
defense upon the call of Congress and re-
ceiying from Congress reasonable financial
support at all times to secure uniformity in
the arming, equipping and training OF the
National Guard and means of maintaining
for it high standard of efficiency.
''To transfer the responsibility for the
maintenance and efficiency of the National
Guard from the various States to the
United States Congress, where it properly
belongs so that the source of its vitality
shall be in the Congress at Washington
and not in the Legislature of
the separate States which may
at any time, through hostility, parsimony
or neglect, destroy their quotas of the ma
tional forces-in short, to lay for most i'm
portant national institution one broad ma
tional foundation instead of attempting to
maintain it on A separate ones, as at pres
ent."
PLAN OF ORGANIZING.
The slips then gave the plan of organizing
the association. Whenever any company Of
not less than 60 men want to join the asso-
citation they may do so by forming them
selves into an infantry company, cavalry
troop or battery and reporting to the Gov
ernor of their State. The Governor for
wards their application to the Secretary Of
War, who enrOlls them.
,riI1 ha Maid * mn -
the Government the first year it is organ-
lied and IS, 900 every year after that. The
artillery gets the same pay. Each infantry
company will get $1,000 a year after
the first year The cavalry and ar
tillerv, in order to draw their.
yearly pay, must own their own horses.
Whenever State has got 200 men or more
enrolled in the guard, the Secretary of War
is to detail an officer of the regular army to
establish headquarters in the State and act
as inspector of the forces, but without COM
manding power.
READY FOR THE FIELD.
The companies will draw their yearly ap-
preparation from the Government upon the
report of this officer. After a formal an.
nual inspection they are in condition for
efficient field service. In time of peace the.
forces shall be under control of the
State, but when war arises and it
becomes the duty, according to the laws Of
Congress, to call out the armed forces of the
United States it shall first put these armed
guards on the field. They shall be under
its command like regular troops, and their
paw and rank shall be the same as that Of
the Regular Army.
Lieutenants Evans and Batchelor said the
organization was to be effected by bill
which Congress was to be asked to pass at
the coming session, and they wanted the
Missouri militiamen to get up petitions for
its passage. Quiet and effective work was
being done in all the States, they said, and
all the reports were encouraging.