The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-06-25

lows:
General Order No lc.l
OLYMPIA Wash., June Is. 1898.
The appropriation made By the Legislature at
it last session tor the support and maintenance
OF the National Guard OF Washington Tor the
year 1888 NOT being sufficient to meet the regu-
lar expenses Of the force and the cost incident
to an encampment for this rear. the annual en-
campment OF the n. G. ". fog 1923 must OF ne.
cessity be dispensed with.
BY order Of the Commander.in-Chie'.
RG O'BRI4S. Acjutans General.
The camp matter has been killed and re-
suscitated severa, times this year. but the
last act of slaughter would appear to have
done the business for good as far as this
season is concerned. This, OF course.
leaves the matter of local or company
camps entirely open to the men. and it is
believed they will avail themselves OF the
opportunity. Company Z has indeed
already got the matter under way. Below
10 given the opinion of Gen. A. p. Curry
on the method pursued by Gen. O'Brien
to bring about the camp. Gen. Curry
might have added (though he did not)
that the real reason why the movement
was not carried through was that wide
spread dissatisfa ction is expressed among
the guard with the management
of general headquarters. Why small
acquisitions should not bs honored
for months when stores are on hand, and
WHY pay for service should not be forth.
coming until months after it is due? Why
some companies should receive what they
don't want and others be permitted to
suffer for lack of the commoEest military
necessities? These are among the num-
erous questions asked every day among
guardsmen on this side of the mountains
at least. Military men arc remarking
upon it as something Of coincidence that
the very same month in which the adju-
tant general calls off the state camp be-
swinging around the circle on an ''inspec-
ton" jaunt with retinue of officers, Of
course at state expense.
General Curry's Views.
In an interview in the Spokane Review
of last Sunday. Gen. O. p. Curry, COM
manding the First brigade of the state,
criticizes General O'Brien's method of at
tempting to secure . camp Of the guard
this year. Among other things Gen.
Curry says:
believe the governor feels a. do, that an
encamp AnenG would be beneficial. A far as
Gen. OBrien is concerned, hardly think he
wants an encampment this year. for the reason
that he has promulgated a communication to be
read BY the captains Of the various companies
all over the state, ssking them II they would
not be willing to 90 into camp without psy, the
state paying the transportation, rstions and
other expenses except the per diem, aud,
~ far a. l have heard. they have de-
ciiued to do 30. IN my judgment they
have done perfectly right In declining.
I'm my judgment the Hrst thing that General
O'Brien should have done was TO have con.
suited the members OF the governors stan, his
own stat. myself and sta a. and learn from these
whether they would Re willing to 20 into camp.
donating their pay to the state. II the answers
from these various stats had besn favorable,
then to have followed that up BY consulting the
colonies OF the Fi,st and Second regiments and
Major johnson, commanding the cavalry,
and the commissioned officers under
them, as to whethes they were willing
to do the same as tho staff ofiicers. II these
answers had been favorable, aud l have
no doubt they would have been. then
to have gone before the companies with
such proposition, and there 10
no company in the National Guard
that would not have voted almost unanimously
In favor OF the scheme; but taking first the
printed circular ~ . basis. II looked a If the
enlisted men were required to 60 into camp for
nothing aud the various stan. field aud line
officers were to be paid. presume the time Is
too short now to 60 into the details, but had IL
been started at the proper time and in the
proper way. according 60 my Judgment, the
National Guard would have had An encamp-
ment this year.
l would rather have no encampment at all
than TO 60 to encampment on . very short
notice, without perlecting all the preliminary
arrangements aud have everything in disorder
for three or four days. Is was the case in our
last two encampments.
The above is Of interest for this reason
that it is one Of the few instances in which
any officer superior in rank to General
O'Bren has been willing to be quoted in
criticism oil the latter. The last legisia-
ture made several attempts to cut down
the adjutant generals Office to what the
Office usually is. viz. merely an admins
trative staff post. second and entirely
subordinate to the governor, subject to
appointment and removal by the chief
executive. At present. the chief of staff is
elected by his own subordinate officers
and is practically irremovablc by his own
superior. the governor and commander in
chief.