The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-07
The Board of Location in a
Tangle of Innumerable
Propositions.
PLANS FOR REORGANIZATION.
In the Process Of Reconstruction
There Is Promise OF More
Trouble.

sad mess. The mess is quite bad enough
in itself, but the National Guard is add
tionally afflicted as to when and how il
will get out of it. Governor Budd doesn't
know, neither does General Dimond, anG
Adjutant- General Barrett is not whit
wiser than his colleagues on the Military
Board of Location. Meanwhile every
shoulder-strapped citizen-soldier in the
State declines to hazard any opinion upon
the subject of where he is cat" for the pres
ent.
The National Guard of the State, which
until recently mustered about seventy
companies, had been allowed something
like $3.50, 600 year to get along with. This
rather liberal allowance was utilized in the
payment OF armoTy rents, encampment
bills and all that sort of thing. The last
Legislature, mindful of economy and the
organizations general inetficiency, as evil
denced in operations during the great rail
road strike, cut swath in the appropria-
ton to the extent of about $4,000.
This left only 100000 for military pur-
poses, and very serious difficulty i'm
mediately presented itself. The new ap-
preparation was insufficient to support sew
enty companies for which $4,000 had
been previously required. 1t easily re-
solved itself into matter of increasing the
allowance or reducing the force. The
economical legislators declined to spend
more than 100000 year on militia ser
vice, SO the reduction business was COM
menced.
slight reduction has already been eff
fected by the disbandment of the First
Troop of cavalry, Company H of the First
and Company c of the Third infantry.
This elimination has decreased the Ma
tional Guard to sixty-eight companies,
which still leaves it too ponderously con-
stituted.
Twelve more organizations will have to
surrender their soldier toggery and lose
their places on the roster of the California
service. Of these ten will go because they
are not wanted under any circumstances,
and the other two will move off the scene
to give place to additional troops of cav
airy, whose organization was authorized
by the last Legislature. The number of
companies left in the service will be fifty
eight, of which forty-eight will be of in
fantry. Five other companies will consti-
tute naval battalion. There will be four
troops of cavalry and one battery of light
artillery. The appropriation of $10000O a
year is Just sufficient to support this force
and in the direction of reduction to this
extent the officers of the Board of Loca-
ton have been bending their energies and
bothering their heads for several weeks.
The disarmament of twelve companies
means general reorganization of the Ma
tional Guard throughout the entire State.
The companies doomed to elimination
from the roster cannot be taken from one
section alone, and consequently number
of towns in different parts of the State will
suffer the loss of blue-bloused militiamen,
and a number of regimental organizations
will find themselves reduced to battalion
size. The necessity of military system and
uniformity demand that the process of re-
construction be made general. 1t is in the
selection of system that the difficulty
lies. The officers of the Board of Location
are anxious to reduce and reform the State
military force with a view to strength and
efficiency, and particularly with regard to
opportunities for the rapid and concerted
action of regiments and battalions and
companies in cases of emergency.
There is also an apparent desire that
companies shall not be dealt with IN
justly and that localities may not suffer
from lack of military defense. This re-
ouires a careful discussion of the relative
merit of all companies concerned in the
scheme of reorganization, and also consid-
Grafton of the needs of cities and towns in
the State in the matter of military protec-
ton.
National Guard officers believe that no
matter of greater moment for the we'll
being of the National Guard and the main
tenance of public order and protection of
in California has ever confronted
the military authorities. So they call it a
mess, and wonder how they will get out of
it. The golden eagles of colonies and the
modest chevrons of company corporals
are equally in danger. Not field, staff or
line officer in the National Guard of Cali
fornia knows how long he may retain his
title and the glittering appurtenances
thereto.
National Guard officers in this City are
greatly concerned over the prospect of losing
companies and officers, and they also ven
ture the assertion that the proceedings
tAQS 1dI AnQ1OdIC bndI bnC 1ASbIOpOllS Is 10
be struck heavy blow. In several quar-
tiers yesterday the statement was made
that the smaller towns in the State are
now supporting a larger military force
than they could possibly furnish for the
field in the event of invasion. Conse-
quently, say the San Francisco National
Guardsmen, the smaller towns should
iorego some of their soldiery and give the
metropolis a chance. Moreover, as far as
country towns are concerned these San
Franciscans declare no State in the Union
has ever attempted to maintain such
of citizen soldiery as compared
with the population as California.
In one argument they find considerable
satisfaction. 1t concerns the very import
ant matter of recruiting and it is asserted
that the larger cities are more fruitful of
material for the National Guard than the
towns and their localities. For this reason
they believe that the cities should be made
the military centers, and that the size of
the force should be determined by the
facility with which recruits can be secured
for the service.
All of these matters. and an innumer-
able host of others, have been brought to
the attention of the three gentlemen who
form the Board of Location and IN whom