The San Francisco call., 1897-06-14
NOTES FOR The
NAT IONAL GUARD
Some Thoughts About the
Several Encamp-
mentS.
Will the Military Instruction to
Be- Impaired Prove Any
Practical Value =?
The N W Drill Regulations Will Be
in Force After July IA Bat
talon Drill on the Avenue.

As the time for encampments approaches
the members OF the National Guard are pre-
pairing to absent themselves for the seven
days required by law that they shall remain
away receiving instructions under "men
learned in the art of war" The officers of the
several regiments are confident that they Will
have q good showing as to members at the
several.csmps, and they undoubtedly will if
men can get away. The commander of regi-
ment said on Saturday: "It is impossible to
say how many men we will have at camp for
the reason that many OF the men of my com.
mand are employed in business from which il
will be difficult for them to absent themselves
for the required length of time. A man who
has employment at this time does not care to
leave his job for seven days for fear that when
he returns he will be told I'VE have got along
without you for seven days and | guess we can
get along without you for the future 1t is
the uncertainty OF returning TO positions that
Will deter men from asking for leave of abb
sence for the full term of the encampment"
If the commander is correct in his surmises
then the camps will not be the great successes
from a military standpoint that it is expected
to make them. Every man in each regiment
should have the benefit of the seven days in
structions, if it is desired to teRch him much
that he ought to know, but if he can absent
himself for only three days and 1t takes him
the best part OF two TO reach the camp and re.
turn to the starting point, the amount of mil
ltary instruction he Will receive Will not avail
him much.
OF course it is not to be expected that mem.
bers OF the National Guard can be soldiers Of
the standard of those in the regular army, but
they have much to learn-not only the men,
but the officers who conf mand them. Lieuten-
ant Colonel Theodore J. Hay of the Third Bri-
gade, detailed to inspect the Second Regi-
ment OF the brigade, has presented u report in
which he commendx the men generally for
their efficiency, and he lakes occasion to draw
attention to errors that could be avoided if
off afvrN ~
ment of the rules, which, while not irksome
or annoying TO the men, add much to their
efficiency soldiers. One matter that he
calls attention to is the habit of talking in the
ranks, and another the failure to keep proper
distances. The fault is not only with com pa
mics of the Second Regiment of the Third Bri-
gRde, but Is noticeable in other organization
OF the Guard. He also suggests that some of
the officers should perfect themselves in the
manual
1t is possible that at the camps the men, in
stead of being compelled to perform the same
maneuyers that they perform in the armories,
Will be called upon to execute problems that
have been suggested to the regular army by
the War Department and which have been re-
Gently demonstrated by the garrison at the
Preside post. If such Is done 1t will place
ercises-in closer touch with the regular army
and enable them to act coniointly with it in
case of need. The aim of the War Department
now is TO have the National Guard OF the sew
eral States come up as near the standard OF the
regular army as possible. al" said an army
officer, "an occasion should arise that would
require com bined action by the regular army
and the National Guard OF a State it would not
do 10 have a variance as to drill, arms and
general regul ations."