The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-16
WAR WITHTHE JAPANESE
GEN. wALLACE's PREDICTION AS TO
NEXT STRUGGLE OF THIS NATION.
His Address to the Indiana National
Guard Officers - Governor Also
Makes a Few Remarks.


attendance of the colonel, lieutenant colonel
and adjutant of each regiment, the major
and adjutant of each battalion and the
commanding officer of each company, bat
terry and separate corps upon a school of in
struction lasting two days Other officers
were invited to attend at their own expense,
and many of them came. All but three or
four of the officers were in undress uniform
when they assembled at o'clock. There
was brief explanation from the adjutant
general of the purpose of the call, and at
$3.50 o'clock the whole body filed into the
Governors parlor to pay their respects.
They found Gen. Lew Wallace calling upon
the Governor, and enjoyed brief talk from
this famous veteran also before their de-
parture.
The Governor stood at the door and
grasped each of the officers by the hand as
they filed in and almost filled the spacious
parlor General Mckee informed him briefly
that they had called to pay their respects to
their commander-in-chief, and expressed the
hope that they might hear a few words
from him.
THE GOVERNORS FEW WORDS.
You would scarcely expect an address
upon military subject said the Governor,
from a man who laid aside military duties
thirty years ago. If I attempted such a
thing should be in much the same position
as the chorister who seized the minister S
invitation to the baptism as an occasion to
advertise his books" and he told them the
story. LAS look about me-" he continued,
upon the faces in this room, am more
than confident that the Indiana National
Guard is in good hands, and that you will,
by your assiduous drill and discipline, bring
the National Guard of the State up to a
high state of efficiency. 1t is true we are
in the midst of peace, with no immediate
prospect of war, and we all hope that this
peaceful state of affairs may continue, yet
we have no other assurance of continued
peace than our ability to fight successfully.
The affairs of Europe do not look any too
peaceful just at present, and no country can
tell when conditions necessitating q strong
lighting force are going to arise. Should
that time ever come, l am sure you would
form the nucleus of an army that would
again bring glory and honor to the Ameri-
can flag. / am glad of the opportunity of
meeting you, and l feel sure that in the
future, as in the past, you will leave moth
ing undone that will bring the Indiana Ma
tional Guard up to the greatest possible eff
nciency and instill into your men an esprit
~ ~ 70 StAe1e VIII 4SHSCI uOilOr anu circuit
upon the State.
Though l am not a soldier. we have in
the room one of the most distinguished SOL
diers of the State General Wallace, | be-
leve that for the present am your ranking
officer. therefore command you to come
forward and make speech
With due obedience, General Wallace came
forward. Il think the Governor is entirely
too modest" he said. He would have YOU
believe that he has forgotten all he ever
knew about military service. Yet, with all
due Difference to General Gore and General
Mckee, l think he is just the man to give
you practical lecture; 1 am not sure but
that you should take the Governor out and
let him show you how we used to do it.
Ii you should put him on a horse, he could
snow. you how the long marches were taken
and now TO take care of your rations-"
L might tell them better how to get them
when there were none," put in the Gov
efno;.
Il was coming to that" said General Wal
lace. He could tell you how to get a full
supply when there were none issued by the
commlssaryTot course, however; this meth
od is valuable only in an enemy's country.
But speaking seriously, gentlemen, this
carries me back thirty years into the cid
statehouse, when there were meetings of
men in preparation for the business of war
l was then the adjutant general of Indiana
and many young men came to see me. And
when they got their commissions / was in
the habit of taking them out and frighten-
ing them by telling them that they were
no longer citizens, but soldiers, and that
their minds, their wills, their bodies to their
superior officer; that their first duty was
obedience, and if he should send them to
questioning obedience. And l am not so
sure that now, after the lapse of thirty
years, this Is not a valuable lesson to the
young soldier.
WILL THRESH THE JAPANESE
II should like to have your years and give
you mine,' said the speaker, earnestly, as
he advanced toward the line of militiamen.
hoI fha
mites upon the field where every man am
bilious to show courage and win glory for
his country's sake may have his ambition
satisfied. And 1 am happy in the belief that
it will not come upon our own soil in inter-
necine strife. There are those abroad who
declare that we are a Nation so engrossed
in making money that the nations of the
world can impose upon us with impunity
They do not know the American people.
should like to have them look into your
eyes as do ana repeat the assertion.
am not a prophet, nor the son of a prophet,
but l venture the prediction, and call you
to witness it., that the next war we have
will be with the Japanese. 1t is my candid
opinion that in the course of not great
many years the Japanese will have to have
somebody to thrash them, and we are the
General Mckee thanked the Governor for
the courteous reception, and the officers re-
turned to school, General Gore gave some
spondence General Mckee talked upon the
question of obedience, and the quartermas-
ter gave instructions concerning the care of
arms and equipment. To-day Lieutenant
May of the regular army will lecture on
tactics.
Among the officers present were: w. j.
Mckee. this city, brigadier general, COM
manding. the /. N. g.; Lieut.. Col. +. w.
Frank, this city; Lieut.. Col. w. NJ. Wright,
this city; Maj. Harry Q. Eagle this city;
T. McIntire, this city; g. H. Pennington,
New Albany, colonel of the First Regiment
George w. Mccoy, Vincennes, lieutenant
colonel of the First Regiment; Ed F. Dish
man, New Albany adjutant of the First
Regiment; Harry b. Smith, this city, colonel
of the Second Regiment; E. p. Thayer,
Greenfield lieutenant colonel of the Second
Regiment; George w. Powell, this city, ad-
jutant of the Second Regiment; George M.
Studebaker, South Bend, colonel of the
Third Regiment; S. A. Bowman, Waterloo,
lieutenant colonel of the Third Regiment
Il. K. Scott, Angola. adjutant of the Third
Regiment; George w. Gunder, Marion,
colonel of the Fourth Regiment; w. l.. XII
ger. Burton, lieutenant colonel of the
Fourth Regiment; Harry +. Merely, Ma
a, adjutant of the Fourth Regiment
mes 3. Curtis, this city, commanding the
First Regiment of artillery