The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-11
WAR IN THE COMPANIES,
Many of the GuardSmen Object
to the Consolidation
Plan.
The Fight for the Colonelcy Becoming
Interesting - The Armory
Problem.

The superior commanders who effected
the regimental reorganization of the Ma
tional Guard in the City on last Saturday
are now considerably concerned over the
bitter feeling which the consolidation of
rival companies has engendered. In max
ing the battalion formation a number of
the companies were ordered to CONT ine
their mem bership rolls and hereafter do
military service in double strength and
under command of captain designated
at headquarters. The companies selected
for this compulsory amalgamation have
not taken kindly to the scheme and sew
eral serious rows are already in progress.
Captain Shafer is one of the officers who
vigorously object to the consolidation
Shafer was the commander of Company D
OF the First Infantry before the reorgani-
cation. Under the provisions of the new
order his company Is merged into B of the
old regiment and consequently loses its
identity and its officers. The men of
what was formerly Company D are up in
arms against the forced com bination.
They hold that such action was entirely
unwarranted, and that their strength,
efficiency, history and promise of success
should have counted in their favor.
Captain Shafer was at the California
Hotel yesterday and interviewed General
Warteld about the trouble. To CALL re-
porter he said: 1--WE were not given a fair
deal. 1t was an outrageous piece of bust
ness all around, and if there's any way to
get out of the mess my men and l propose
to do SO. l have seen General Warfield
and he tells me l will have to see
the Adjutant-General. 1t wasn't square
deal by any means. They talk of having
selected companies with records and eff
cient members for continued service in the
guard. It's all rank nonsense Ny COM
pany has record which will compare
favorably with that of any mpany in the
service. For over thirty years it has been
doing good work and now it is thrown out
to make place for companies far below it
in the scale of military efficiency. 1t was
not square deal. But then Company D
is not quite dead yet"
The fight for the colonelcy of the new
infantry regiments already waxing vigor-
Gus. In the old Second Artillery the Of
ficers have declared themselves in favor of
Colonel Macdonald, except Captain O'Neill,
who has not committed himself to selec-
tion. Part of the former First Infantry
will have Colonel Bush and Lieutenant
Colonel Croker in the race. The
Nationals" are understood to be
Company G.. In the battalion which
remains of the Third Infantry, Colonel
O'Connor and Lieutenant-Colonel Smith
have friends who will place them in line.
Lieutenant Colonel Geary is looked upon
as likely candidate. Colonel w. P. Snl-
Ivan may be entered in the fight, and there
are others about whom not much is yet
known. From all indications the contest
will be more exciting and memorable than
any ever held in the National Guard.
The matter of all armory for the r.
company regiment is another topic of
lively discussion. AT present there is no
the entire force. 1t is believed, however,
that the board of location will direct that
the companies of the old First Regiment,
which are now at Market and Tenth
streets, remove to the armory at Page and
Cough streets. The two companies of the
old Third, now on Golden Gate avenue,
will be sent to the Nationals armory on
Ellis street. This arrangement will locate
the regiment in two armories, eight COM
panies quartering on Page street and four
on Ellis street.