The San Francisco call., 1895-12-14

for the guard is to let the kickers go, and.to
get in as rapidly as possible new men and
new blood The guard will be in q transi-
ton state for months, and when the sores
are forgotten and the guard is largely
new organization it is possible that the
State will be proud of it.
This battalion organization is new
thing in the National Guard OF the coun-
try, though one or two States have par
TALLY reached it with much trouble. The
plan was originated by Frederick the Great
and adopted with Improvements by Napo-
leon. He conquered Europe with regi-
ments of 1900 men that didn't have any
leUtenant-colonels, each regiment COM
posed of twelve companies of $50 men
each. The officers were one colonel, two
ma jors and one captain and TWO lieUten-
ants to each company. All the armies of
Europe are organized on this plan of regi-
ments of twelve companies and three
battalions, following Napoleon's model.
Officers are not wasted. AS things were
in this State there was q field, staff or line
officer to every ten enlisted men and
bigger proportion to the men constituting
the active rank and file.
In the reorganization the topheaviness
has been much lesseneG, though there is
lieutenant-colonel and ma jor for each
battalion and there is left larger proper
ton OF officers 10 shooters than they have
any use for in armies meant for fighting.
But this is doing nobly for IA thing mainly
composed of political and social pulls"
Critics observe that much has been re-
tanned to placate people interested. The
First Brigade, at Los Angeles, is composed
of one regiment. The same men are
under set OF regimental and a set of
brigade officers all over with gold braid.
1t is pointed out that the regimental reor-
ganization would better have been done
away with, letting the battalions report
directly TO brigade officers. The same
thing is said of tue Fifth Regiment scat
tered over five or six companies and never
getting together as a regiment. Independ-
ent battalions would exhibit more
efficiency and esprit de corps. But it
would be a brave Governor who would
have gone the whole way.
There is not noted any change in the
habit of appointing the biggest command
ers and staff officers because they are good
politicians, but reform in that might be
too much to ask.
1t was money pinch that forced this re-
organization after all. For years the guard
went along as political plavthing, getting
topheavv and worthless. Reform and re-
organization proposed by few got no
show with the pulls in the Legislature.
For years the guard cost Sl5O,000 q year.
The strike cost the State $i60,OO0, and
brought hollow ring from the guard.
Then reorganization and plans were
rife. Appropriations were cut down, and
cutting down the guard, for which there
wasn't money enough for rents, became
imperative. That is mainly why Governor
Budd and his military advisers took the
bull by the borns at last.
1t is estimated that the reorganization
will reduce the cost of the guard 25 per
cent, besides vastly increasing its efficiency
when the shock is over and when it is
pulled together. While the present hero c
measure temporarily wrecks the organiz-
alton, the blessing may be like that of a
big fire now and then.