The San Francisco call., 1898-02-14
WhatIt Is Hope d the New Division Commander
 Will Do.
New Service Uniforms Will Soon Be Ready for
 Distribution.
A United States Army Officers Views of the National Guard
 Organization.


 James as division commander of the Ma tional Guard, while 1t came In the na- ture of surprise in view Of the aSser- tion oft made that 'the major general might die, but would never surrender 1t was not wholly unexpected. It was the talk in the guard for some tune past that 1t was not likely that the stralned relations between the commanoer-ln- chief and the division commander could last until the end of the term or cover nor Budd. Whatever may nave brought about such a condition of cooiness De- tween the two officials is known to them selves and neither will tell. Now that the change has taken place the hope Is expressed that the new major general will inaugurate such measures as will be conducive to creating an interest In the guard and make it more than 8 mere parade organization.
 The Pettibone Company that has the contract for furnishing service uniforms to the National Guardsmen of this State has notified its agents in this clty that nearly all the orders received have been filled, and that within short time the company will be ready to sort the sizes and ship the goods. This would nave been done sooner had 1t not been Tor the delay occasioned by some of the
 
 orders to send on the number of each size required. One company did not comply with that request until last We'd nesday. The company haVlng the con tract announces that the cloth that has been used in the make up of the uni forms is exactly the same that is used for the United States army and that before the goods are delivered to the com panies they will be submitted 10 such tests as the Uniform Board shall deter mine upon to show that they are up to the specifications.
 As already announced in this depart ment, the officers of the Fifth Infantry drew attention to the very unsatisfactory condition of the target practice at this time and suggested that meeting f inspectors of rifle practice be called to devise some method of making changes that will meet the requirements of the law and at the same time not be hard ship on the men. The Board of Officers of the First Infantry was to nave taken some action in this matter at its meet ing last Thursday night, but the sub ject was overlooked In the meantime Lieutenant E. $. Heller, inspector of rifle practice for the Fifth Infantry, commun- icated with Colonel Park Henshaw, in spector general of rifle practice, inclos- ing a statement of the action of the of ficers of the Fifth His response was that he favored the suggestion, and there is a possibility that such meeting will be called at some time in the future.
 The law it now stands declares that the members or the NdllOnaI GudTQ must do certain things at stated periods to qualify as marksmen, and that they must parade for the purpose of target prac- tice at such times as may be designated by the commander-in-chief, but the commander-in-chief has not. since the law has been in force, ordered such a parade, and the men of the several bri- gades have gone to the ranges, if they felt like it. and have kept away if they did not feel inclined to go. As there is no penalty for not going to the range the men feel that if the superior officers fail to carry out the law they are at lib- erty to disobey orders, and if the feeling that exists at this time continues the men will argue that if they can diSobey the laws and orders in one case they will be able to do so with 1mpunity in other cases, and it will not be long before de- demoralization reigns supreme all along the line.
 There are many of the officers of the guard who are of the opinion that with the issuance of commission to them 1t is time to cease military study. On the contrary, they should from that time on continue to improve themselves in the art of war so that in case of emergency the knowledge which it is fair to pre- sume they would acquire would be of i'm mediate service to the Government. There are many officers who appear to be of the opinion that ability to command 'fours right" or left" and in a few in- stances to give the command for the de- ployments of squad, but without knowl- edge as to when and why certain move ments are to ne executed is all the Knowledge required. Every officer should pay proper attention to the care and handing of men in the field, the prepara- tion of reports and papers, all of which can be easily learned by studious and painstaking National Guard officers. There should be schools of instruction and if, after the first term, officers failed to show any improvement or advance ment, they should be given an oppor- retirinQ ambitious men, who would bring the guard up to its proper standard In a prize essay by Lieutenant. S. M. Foote, Fourth United States Artillery, on Based on Present Conditions and Past Experiences, How Should Our Volunteer Armies Be Raised, Organized. Trained and Mobilized for Future Wars?" pub lished in recent issue of the Military Service Institution, he says, after draw ing attention to the "crying want in the North at the outbreak of the Civil War for instructed and competent officers:
 But since. great change has taken place, especially in the larger and wealthier States The organized National Guard is now in much better condition in every. way than 1t practically sa different class of troops. This advancement has been brought about in great G, GGegree by the active interest taken by the and improvement. The organizations in the different States becoming somewhat more uniform in arms equipments and dress. as we'll as in discipline and drill, and in the qualif1ca- tion of officers. But there Is still and there must ever be, in the nature of things, vast diff ferences In the quality and efficiency of regiments of the same State and differences Vaster between the organizations of differ ent States. Some States make generous appro- priations, have annual encampments and in- spections by regular officers and maintain their National Guard in excellent condition. Others nave no annual training or inspection and make no appropriation at all. In some organi- zations the fact that man is an officer is in itself guarantee that he is, to certain tent at least an educated, intelligent soldier and gentleman; but in most National Guard organizations it must be confessed that many of the officers are not properly fitted for the positions they hold.
 Some of the best militia regiments are those that would wish to remain in the service the shortest period in time of war. Take the Sev- enth Regiment of New York, for instance, the crack militia regiment of the United States be- fore the war, the original National Guard. It made special arrangements with the War De- partment in 1861 by which it was to remain in stead of three. It afterward furnished enough officers of volunteers to make whole regi- ment, and at the same time keeping up its or ganization as militia regiment during the war, doing valuable service both at home and at the front in emergencies It would certainly have been bad policy to keep those men to- gether as a regiment instead Of scattering them abroad to officer and instruct raw levies.
 THE NAVAL MILITIA.
 Last Tuesday the first and second divi- sions of the Naval Militia were instructed in land drill and it is likely that one will be the last they will have for some time, as in future they will drill on board of the Marion and will familfarize them