The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-11-01
STATE MILITIA.
Brigadier Generals Annua!
Report.
An Important Document Suggesting
Further Development.

The annual report of Brigadier General
Kendall will probably be forwarded to
Adjutant- General Dyer before the end Of
this week.
1t is lengthy document and will make
the most important literature relative to
the Rhode Island militia since war times.
The comment of the brigade officers on
the work of the past year is most favor
able and there are several valuable sug-
gestions out for new and modern
features that the State will be
asked to adopt in order to
bring the standard OF Rhode Islands
citizen soldiery up to that of Msssachu-
setts in everything but numerical strength
Among the minor notifications relative
to camp duty it is proposed that a men,
Der of the militia shall not be eligible
for camp duty unless he shall
have been in the ranks 45
days previous TO the opening of camp and
that no one shall be entitled to pay who
does not serve at least three full days out
of the week spent by the Brigade at
Quonset Point.
Next year there will be a range at the
camp, and each day there viii be a certain
number of men excused from all other dut-
les that they may engage in rifle practice.
IL is also proposed to establish q range in
each one of the armories so that the
practice may be kept up throughout the
year.
The thing most desired and most
strongly recommended now by the milf
tary men OF the State ia an unannounsed
calling together OF all the troops at some
central point, such as was done several
weeks ago at Boston with the militia OF
Massachusetts,.
The advantages of such a mobilization
are obvious, says Lieutenant Colonel War
field.
Exclusive OF the independent organiza-
tions, such as the United Train of Artil-
lery, there are now 100 men in
the State militia divided up into two
regiments of infantry, two separate COM
panies OF infantry, two batteries
of artillery and a battalion of cav
airy. Once year these men go into
camp, but everything is arranged
for ii weeks ahead and this annual mus
ter is not reliable test OF what might be
the response to an emergency call. At
the last lection day celebration at New
port Governor Brown called out
the troops without much prelimin-
ary notice ard the result was
reasonably satisfactory, but on that occa-
sion the turn out OF the soldiers was in
cidental to the inaugural and every man
in the ranks. knew just when and where
he was going beforehand.
What General Kendall and his officers
want Is the authority from the General
Assembly to issue general orders to every
company captain in the State to report
with his men at such time and such
a place and then see how many OF tho
100 would be on hand. Such a call in
Massac husetts, Connecticut, New York
and Pennsylvania has been responded to
by over 90 per cent. OF the entire force.
The expense TO do 1t i'm Rhode Island
would be approximately $500.
Judge Advocate General Wilson saws
that the same reasons which made il
advisable to occasionally call out
the city's police department with
the riot call when there Is no riot, but for
discipline applies equally well to the larger
force that Ia organized 10 do actual mill
tary duty for the State should necessity
demand 1t.
Next to rife practice Governor Brown
considers that the most valuable work
which can be done In the militia is the
frequent bringing together of all the
men.
Major Tanner, OF the 1st Regiment, says
that he time OF year when an emergency
call woild furnish the best test
would be in The fall, whom, as n
suspended, and there Is a general inac-
tivity between the summer preparations
for cswp and the winter drilling.