Los Angeles herald., 1892-05-23
ADVICE TO GuARDSMEN,
Competitive Drills Will Do
Great Good.
Less Courts Martial and More Work
Needed.
--National Guardsmen should Come Out
lof Their shells-A Talk with. An
Old Guardsman From
the East.

sswhy don't the boys of the National
guard get up competitive drills" asked
. gentleman interested in military mat
ters, of a HERALD reporter yesterday.
s.There is nothing" he continued,
ssthat would stir up such lively inter-
est in the militia organization, both
among the members themselves and in
the public"
An inquiry was made Of quite num-
her OF the members of the Seventh regi.
ment in this city, and they one and all
.Neemed to think that it would be a good
idea, but did not take any especial in
terest in the subject. One of the soldier
boys very frankly said that the Seventh
regiment had been so busy discussing
the pros and cons of Colonel Ruesell's
fights for months pact that the real OBJ
jects of the organization had almost
been lost sight Of. The regiment had
become debating society, in which the
interminable questions arising from the
charges against Colonel Russell were
being continually argued. The result
lO86 Oc6u AlulOob uCuuOkdllZdtkOus AuU
total destruction of the morale of the
regiment.
When the gentleman who had spoken
of competitive drills was informed of
the remarks of the members of the regi-
showed toward developing q lively in
terest in military affairs, he said:
81 have seen similar conditions in
v~nyyskso n<Nvr 1v,fo int hn ok
and the lack of interest continued until
the boys were given new objects to
awaken their spirit and take their at
tentien away from the unfortunate dis
putes which form such fruitful causes
of bitterness.
SIT seems very remarkable thing to
me-" he further said, THAT where the
are as favorable for competi-
tive drills as in Southern California that
nothing of that kind is done. OF course,
the annual encampments have some
competitive features, but they don't fill
the bill. That ie more regimental af-
lair in which the members alone take
any active interest. The various points
where the different companies are To-
Gated are so easy of access by railroads
that it is matter of very few hours to
assemble at any given point
u suppose you mean to get up such
interest as leads to the development of
crack companies such as they have in
the east and south 2"
ITO be sure. See what difficulties
they have to overcome by reason of the
long distances they travel there. A few
years ago at indianapolis companies
came from all parts of the north and
south. Also to st. Louis, Louisville,
Memphis, and in Texas they have had a
number of state and interstate contests.
Here in Southern California, half q
day will cover the time for travel to any
point"
81 have noticed one thing" said the
gentleman; "the militia companies in
Southern California seem to lack to a
Eoefnl degree the dash and earnestness
which characterize ouch crack COM
panies as the Chickaeaw guards of
Memphis, the Crescent rifles Of New
Orleans, and in fact nearly all the COM
panies that have taken part in these
,conteste, north or south. l cannot see
but that there is just as good material
here SIS there, but Lord bless my soul
to see one OF cur militia companies
marching along like 30 many automa-
tons, and going through the manual
with anything but precision is enough
to make man interested in the success
of militia affairs wish he could give
them q thorough shaking up, or get
Captain De Camp OF the old Chickasaws
to put them through some of the PAGES
OF that famous company, the winner of
dozens of bloOdless victories.
II tell you what" vigorously asserted
the speaker, "the boys east don't have
nearly such easy times as the National
guard in California. In many states
they are not by any means SO well
treated as bv the state of California.
Some of those companies whose march
ing and machine-like perfection of drill
have excited the applause of thousands
would give up chance for victory to
have such an armory as the guard has
here in Los Angeles. But they shut
ahemselves up in it and do not come in
acontact with the people, and particu-
larly the fair sex, save in the annual
dencampments and the few little balls
given at the armory. Say what you
will, the approval of bewitching bright
eyes is great incentive to the best COM
pany work. A few competitive drills,
to which various companies would
bring determination to excel, given in
public, would do more to get the kinks
ont of the organizations than anything
slse, and the general public would soon
take an astonishing interest in them. A
contest to take place at the baseball
park, for instance, would draw a crowd
such as would make the eyes of the
baseball magnates almost pop out of
their heads.
t'The regular army officers take great
interest in the contests in the east, and
do not spare any pains to encourage the
boys to their best efforts, both by of1ici-
ating as judges and Offering any facili-
ties in their power to add to the inter-
est in military affairs. l noticed once
when crack company was starting off
for an interstate contest at Louisville,
the commander at an arsenal in the city
Turned out his whole command as an es-
cort to the pepot, and when it came
back successful it seemed as if nearly
every man, woman and child in the city
WAS ready to receive them with open
arms. Aet.
-'If these companies had shut them
selves up in their armories and made
close corporations OF themselves, such
as our boys do, they would have been
just as demoralized, because chickering's
will creep in even in the best regulated
organizations. But they had an inter-
est outside, their marching had swing
to it that fired every heart, and they
became soldiers.
"Such an interest stirred up in this
part of the state would goop spread to
the north. and it would not be long be-