Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-20

Lieutenant Butts Rs1 been adopted. by
several companies of the local brigade.
Speaking of these subjects the adjutant
general Of the armys says: -. l. .s7,,ss
The troops have rzyenerally given much
attention to physical sfraining and; nave
shown experiences Inc thu exercises. In the
absence Of necessary facilities and appur-
tenances much has 81. been improvised
through the determfnaGion and ingenuity
Of the officers Interested. instruction
through continual systematic work Is. of
course. under great disadvantage in posts
having severe winter without the neces-
sary buildings, which are still, needed at
most of such posta Cur experience has
already shown that's cajisthenics, gymnas-
tics and athletics are an important aid
to military training in mitigating and re-
moving bodily defects. promoting strength,
agility and endurance. rs well as in awak-
enfng courage, determination and self-re-
naHce:si quote from the report of General
Coppinger. This end being Of great i'm
poftanee to theT government, buildings.
when necessary, should be provided, espe-
cfally at permanent posts. ''scr.~=f- - eits'
First Lieutenant Edmund L. Butts, 5th
Infantry formerly of the 2fst Infantry,
years in instructing officers and men at a
NUMBER OF military posts in physical drill,
devoted last winter, under your approval,
TO the preparation Of a manual of physi-
Cal orliI Tor the army, which has been
published and copies purchased and dis
tr1buted to the service. The preparation of
Lieutenant Butts for this work was ex-
tended, and ne is believed to be an expert
that this manual will be of very great SER
vice IN army physical training:''ns
"Our Citizen SOldiery."
In an article of decided interest, entitled
Our Citizen Soldiery.'s published in the
current issue Of Munsey's, Edge Kava-
nagh, among other things, says:
Our country hasa vast territory. and a
population of seventy millions. In time Of
disorder our standing army Of twenty-five
thousand men is too weak to. maintain
authority. We must depend upon the or
ganized militia of the several states. num-
bering about hundred and twenty thou
sand uniformed and equipped. men.
IN many sections the term National
Guard is applied to the militia. This Is
not strictly correct. 1t may be explained
as an anticipation of q federal reorganiza-
ton of the militia Of the whole United
States but until the organization takes
place our volunteer forces remain simply
state troops, and we can have no national
guard.
Not long ago the Wisconsin legislature
refused, as Unnecessary. an appropriation
for an armory. The money was raised by
private subscription. and the armory was
built barely In time to defend the city
or Milwaukee against q dangerous out
greak of anarchy.
In the Ohio strike riots after much dam
In the Ohio strike riots. after much dam
age by the mob, the militia saved two mil
lion dollars worth of property at an ex-
pense to the state of thirty thousand dol
lars.
1T is interesting to note the difference
IN the attitude taken by rioters toward
the police and toward the militia. They
do not ordinarily appear to nurse any spe-
ciffc grievance against the police, for these
they regard as workingmen earning a Hv
ing by their duties. The policeman is es-
tablished in their minds professional:
the militiaman. on the contrary, being only
an amateur. who, not paid for preserving
the peace, must be doing it for love, or to
crafty his hatred of the mob. The rioting
Is not usually the work Of strikers but
or the lawless element. 1t is well. known
that blank cartridges are not used now:
so we seldom hear of mobs derisively de-
Tying troops to fire. The militia's aid to
the civil power has ceased to be a mega
tive, and has become positive
A Truly National Guard.
1.-The success of the British volunteers
shows what is in store for the militia of
the United States when it becomes a truly
national guard, with federal headquarters
at Washington. At present it does not re-
ceive the encouragement enjoyed by the
kindred organization, though it has proved
Its value in the hour of peril as the En-
gish volunteers never have. The greatest
benefit reaped from the movement in Eng
land is the advancement Of rifle practice.
1t Is said to have found a nation of shop
keepers, and in a few years turned them
into nation of sharpshooters. In this
regard our militia Is not far, behind .Sifr-
deed, this department. Of military science
was not appreciated by our regular army
authorities until they benefited by the
work OF our militiamen at Creedmcor.
In almost every state and territory we
have an organized militia, alaska and the
Indian territory excepted. Wyoming, with
the smallest force-S41, according to the
latest report-has been overtaken by Okla
homa, with 43S men, not to speak of
general with eight officers on his staff
New York leads with more than thirteen
thousand; Pennsylvania follows with 5000:
limos and Ohio have 5000 each. and Mas
sachusetts. New Jersey. Georgia and Cali
fornia, 1900
"A time-worn gibe at the militia refers
to the needless multiplied ton of officers.
in certain sections of the coIn-
try. The facts show some surprises. no
section having a monopoly of moderation.
Vermont has a general in command of state
troops which number only 700, while no
general Is reported for Georgia's force of
1000. or Alabama's $500. Pennsylvania to-
day has four generals. yet until 1877 there
We re ten. major generals and three briga-
diers. This must have aroused the emula-
ZION OF. her little neighbor, Delaware, whose
Oh militiamen are commanded by three
generals and seventeen staff officers Vir-
GINA. with 5000 troops, furnishes her one
general with a staff of nine officers only
ported In New York. one-third that in Mas
sachusetts, one-eishth that in Pennsylyania
and one-tenth that in Vermont
Reorganization of. the Mflftin...
"A gradual reorganization of the militia
is in progress throughout the country, and
tie tendency IS to dispense with officers
appointed through political influence, either
replacing them with. competent military
men, or abolishing their positions Excel
lent results have been accomplished within
a few years. and soon all the states will be
marching abreast.
Most military critics agree that in case
CT foreign invasion it would take a~year
before we should have a really powerful
army ready for the field This is a lesson
from our civil war. which Won Moltke
styled a contest between two forces or
militia A year of fighting was wasted
by both sides in trying to learn the business
of war. General Wesley Merritt declares
that there was not battle in the first
year of the war where one-half the number
OF regulars could not have defeated both
armies united
Though 1t might be at serious -dissd-
vantage in coping with trained regulars
me militia will always be our pride and
brlwark as an arm of the civil power. The
forces of many of the states are cxcellent.
Many authorities give the lead in physique
and intefl!gence- to the militia. ~ Tirs,.,sa:.