The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-11-27
CAPTAIN PAXT0N'S
GOOD SUGGESTIONS
Further Review Of the Report 10 The
War Department.
MILITARY RESERVATION NEEDED
The Want of an Annual EDcampment
Is shown as Well as the Necessity
of Concentration OF Forces--sug-
gestions Concerning Target Prac.

tice.
Harrisburg, Nov. 26.--The report Of
Captain Alexis r. Paxton, of the Fiji
teenth United States infantry, which
was published yesterday, has caused
wide comment in military circles, as 1t
IS the general sentiment that the praise
bestowed upon the guard was deserved.
a more extended review Of Captain
PaXton's report reveals many other
good suggestions.
THE staff officers Of Pennsylvania
well-organzed division" says Captain
Paxton, should have thorough and
frequent practice in their duties. The
active, organized militia of the United
States is the nucleus of the volunteer
armies upon which the country must
rely in defending 1t from attack by
foreign power. 1t follows that the ac-
tive militia Of each state should be
disciplined, exercised and trained in all
its faculties as fully as the time and
money allowed for its maintenance and
encampment will permit. An annual
concentration of the division would
furnish it an opportunity to advance
rapidly instructions in field manouev-
ers on such a scale as would put each
brigade on its mettle.
THE ENCAMPMENT GROUNDS.
with a yearly concentration Of the
cavalry and artillery the functions of
those arms could be illustrated system
atically with some approximation to
the realities of actual service. The
ground for divisional encampments
should be adapted to formations for
.
If in a theatre of hostilites: to man
oeuvres for taking up position for
battle, and to the development and
following up of an attack by the whole
division. Pennsylvania is rich enough
TO afford to own military reservation
large enough and Of sufficient topo-
graphical features to answer the high
purpose Of such instruction, as well as
the proper needs of Instrumentation.
THE mountain lands of the state af-
ford wide range of selection for such
a reservation, which should contain
1000 or 5000 acres and be accessible
by railway. An annual encampment
of Pennsylvania's division on a per-
mantently owned and wide extent of
ground, where perfect freedom of
movement for the troops could be had
without interference with private
rights, would give a tremendous i'm
petus to the military education of the
Guard. The annual carefully prepar-
ed plans made for manoeuvres on such
ground would make the divisional en-
campment there the most important
school of applied military instruction
in the whole country, and could not
fail to rebound to the advancement
and fame of the citizens soldiery of
Pennsylvania"
EXTENDED ORDER DRILL.
Captain Paxton states that extend
ed order, as prescribed in the United
States infantry drill regulations, is
in a state of official and indefinite su-
pension in the National Guard OF
Pennsylvania, and have been so sus-
pened for nearly a year. When this
suspension was ordered an early pup
lication by authority of the War De-
partment, of the improved regulations
for infantry, in both close and extend
ed order, was looked forward to for
the use of the army and militia OF
the United States. This expectation
has not been realized.
The Guard is today in state of un-
certainty as to what it shall do with
a
encampment this year of the first
Brigade, experiments of an interest.
ing character with a scheme for the
development and reinforcement Of in.
fairy attack We're made by authority
of the Major General commanding the
division. The scheme of this attack
formation is published in the last an
nual report Of Adjutant General Stew
art, a copy Of which has been for.
warded to Secretary Alger by Captain
Paxton.
TARGET PRACTICE.
Captain Paxton reports that in rela
tion to target practice this department
of instruction has undergone great i'm
provement in the past few years. 9TH.
rules and regulations Cor practice ar
riGidly enforced, and wherever an,
iooseness in their application is indi
Gated or changed the matter is mad
the subject of a thorough investigation
The inspector general of rifle practice
Colonel Asher Miner, takes a deep in
terest in his duties, and he has estab
liShed a standard of honest work Whicl
is looked uD to with respect by tn
guard i'm general.
Colonel Miner is warmly supported
in his efforts to increase the efficienc,
of the guard in the use of it's small
arms by the adjutant general Of III
state. TO this end great improvement
have been made at the permanent tar
get grounds at Mt. GTetna, where, with
in this year special set of targets
eleven in number, manufactured at tn
state arsenal and of a pattern design
ed by First Lieutenant William +
Richardson, quartermaster of tn
Eighth regiment, have been set up 70
exclusive use at a special S0O-yar
range. This separation of the shor
range from the mid range targets ha
added greatly TO the facilities of prac
tice and competition. Every applianc
for prompt work on the range is sup
piled.
UNITED STATES ARMY REGULA
TIONS USED.
The United States army regulation