The San Francisco call., 1897-04-12
NOTES OF The
NATIONAL GUARD
Officers Will Ask for Regi-
mental Camps This
Year.
Members of the Guard Want to
Know What Has Become of
the Inspector.
Ceremonies by the Companies of the
Second Battalion, First Regiment,
Second Brigade.

Now that the appropriation for the
National Guard the State has been made
the talk in all directions is scamp" but
there is no certainty as to what camp will
be ordered by the commander-in-chief
whether it will be division, brigade or
regimental camp. The matter has been
pretty fully discussed by the officers of
the several regiments and while Major
General James would like division en-
campment the majority of the officers are
in favor of regimentaI camps. These
argue that as the men have not been to
camp for three years and many are new,
never having been to camp before, they
would not have the opportunity to learn
as much in division encam pment as they
would at a regimental camp for the reason
that they would be called upon to learn
too many new movements in very linn
tied space of time.
Our National guardsmen it should be
remembered are not as well up in the
school of the soldier as are the regulars
who have nothing to engross their atten tion
but the study under severe disciplinarians Of
all that goes to make up true soldier and it
shou Id not be expected that the guardsmen
can go into the field and in q seven days camp
master all the intrlcacies of the movements
that govern as large a body of men as would
assemble a. a division eEcampment. In order
TO improve the guardsmen they should first
be well Instructed in the school OF the COM
pany, then in the school of battalion, then in
the evolutions OF the regiment, tnen OF the
brigade, anc when they are well up in these
they can then devote some attention to di-
vision matters.
From the talk of officers connected with the
First Infantry and the Fifth Infantry of The
Second Brigade it is likely that these will ask
for regimental camps, and that within lew
days.
The matter of inspections has been very
much retarded this year. Up to date but one
inspection has been ordered-that of the Sew
enth Regiment, First Brigade. This was COM
menced on last Wednesday. Orders have not
yet been issued for others, although brig
adier-generais have been asked to fix dates.
The officials who have charge OF arranging
the State Shoots are at work, but the guards
men have come to the conclusion that the
| work is progressing slowly and that If orders
are not issued soon there Will be some con-
| fict with The law to the number OF shoots
| that the men will have to take part in.
Another matter that has Set the guardsmen
| to talking is the absence from the armories OF
Captain +. de L. Darlington, q. S. A, specially
detailed by the War Department as inspector
of the National Guard OF this State He did
Inspect the guard in July of last year and pre-
seuted mis- report, which Is printed in the
iadjutant-generaPs report but since then he
has not been seen where the companies meet.
1t may be that there are some OF our guards
men who do not kro as much about military
matters they might, but they of the
| opinion tnat the captain VINO is pdlu Dy the
Government and has no other duty TO per-
form than III at for which he is detailed should,
in his capacity inspector, make periodical
visits to the armories watch the drills snd
make such comments as would enable the Of
fcers and the men 10 correct errors that they
may fall into, and they think further that he
ought to meet occasionally with the board OF
| officers and discuss matters that would in
crease the efficiency of the guard. They say
/ that If officer of the United States Army is
| to make an inspection only once year the
| War Department could detail officer for
! that purpose for limited period, and that sf-
| ter having performed that duty he should re-
turn to his post 1t is just possible, said be-
! fore, that these guardsmen do not know as
much about military IN alters they might,
| but their logic seems sound. and If the inspec-
| tions by the officer detailed for that purpose
were as they suggest the service would be the
gamer, and could be made more effective.
Colonel Hyman z. Bush, retired, has bee
appoin ted judge advocate on the division staff
with the rank of Lieutenant colonel. vice
James +. Smith, elected colonel of the First
Regiment Infantry, Second Brigade.