The herald., 1898-12-17
NATIONAL GUARDSMfN
CLOSE THEIR SESSION WITH A
BANQUET
WORK DONE DURING THE WAR
Shows the Courage Of the Men and the
Defects of the Militia
System
Associated Press Special Wire

Associated Press Special wire
CHICAGO, Dec. 6.-The convention of the
Interstate National Guard Association,
which for two days had been in session
this city, ended with brilliant banquet in
the Great Northern Hotel. More than 300
members of the Natioral Guard OF the
United States were the guests.
The banquet hall was elaborately decor
ated with the national colors, intertwined
with wreaths of smilax and roses. The
corps badges of the armies of the civil war
and the banners of the States were draped
with the corps flags of the army OF 1898.
Colonel Francis A. Riddle of the Illinois
National Guard, was toastmaster. With
him at the speakers tables sat the follow
ing: General Henry M. Duffield, Michi-
gan; Colonel Benjamin +. Marsh, Illinois;
Ex-Governor William j. Stone, Missouri;
Adjutant- General A. p. Wosencraft Texas;
Adlutant- General w. ii. Whitmore, New
Mexico; Lieutenant j. fl. Parker, Y. 5. A.;
Colonel John c. Baird Wyoming, Lieuten-
ant Colonel r. W. Corwin, Colorado;, Ad,
lutant General j. n Reece, Illinois; Colonel
Thomas f. Barr, L. S. A.. Judge f. Haneccy,
Thomas Crafty, Brigadier-General Charles
Fitzsimmons, Illinois; Chaplain {. 5. Bull
lock, |. N. G.; Colonel Nicholas j. Sem,
A. H. Revell, General John c. Black, Colonel
f. R. Bliss.
The keynote was struck when General
John G. Black, responding to the toast,
prophecy from the Old Army" declared
that the extension of American territory
by the war of 1893 had been done III major
measure by the war of l86O-6l.
"The great army in the great war estab.
lished liberty for the citizens of the United
States" he said "The army and the navy
in the war of 1893 have proclaimed liberty
as the heritage OF mankind, and that wherev
er the United States finds humanity strug,,
Cling for liberty it will help humanity and
crush tyranny. The American republic
from the day of its foundation has been for
territorial expansion. From the time OF
Washington to this day, by treaty or pur-
chase, the confines of liberty have been set
not consider the question of expansion, for
it has already expanded.
General Henry M. Duffield Of Detroit.
Mich, who commanded the Thirtythird
Michigan volunteers in the fight at Aqua
dores July lst, defended the National Guard
as it was represented in the volunteers in
the late war He said that when it was con-
sdered that the volunteers had against them
the Mausers of the Spaniards the militia
must be given credit for splendid work in
the war; He suggested plan for the fixture
of the National Guard by advising that in
stead of spending time every year in camps,
the Guard be placed under the comand of
regular army officer for that period of time
and put through praH ice marches and the
training that makes the regular soldier eff
cient
Col. Thos. P. Barr talked of the Trained
American Soldier" in place of Lieutenant
Colonel Arthur L. Wagner, Y. S. A.
Behind all council chamber DOORS" he
said, 'there must stand the soldier, with
., I,-N l. 1t
the statesmen cannot solve. Ali governments
rest upon courts, but the mandates of the
courts cannot be enforced unless there is
something by which they can be enforced y
Lieutenant John II. Parker the brilliant
young infantryman who organized Cat
linggun detachment and took it to Santiago
with the Fifth Army Corps, where he did
such effective service before the San Juan
blockhouse, was induced to speak on the
subject of ''Modern Weapons in the Art of
War" He was greeted on arising by cries
from the Missouri contingent, of Parker"
Missouri"
Providence favors not now the heaviest
battalions," said Mr.. Parker, 'but the best
armed, best trained, best drilled and best
fed battalions. A small force well armed
and well equipped is more effective than a
large force poorly prepared for the conflict.
The superb valor of our foes he added,
"was handicapped by bad arms, by defective
weapons and cartridges that would not ex-
plode."
After paying high tribute to the genius
of the army officers who perfected the mod
crn rifle in use in the regular army, which
was so good, he said, that not one was found
disabled or defective in the Cuban cam
paign. he spoke of the machine guns. The
use of the machine gun effectively, he said,
had been demonstrated in the late war. 1t
was shown that it could be brought to a crit
ical nlacp at the DreclSe moment.
He asserted that the machine gun would
revolutionize warfare almost as much as the
introduction of the breech loading rifle had
changed tactics The National Guard. he
declared, should be provided with these
weapons and taught in time of peace how
to use them. 1t was fourth arm added to
the service and its use at Santiago was one
of the practical lessons of the war.
General A. p. Wosencraft, Adjutant Gen
era of Texas responded to the National
Guard of the South" declaring the war with
Spain did not obliterate the old Mason and
been obliterated years ago.
Congressman Benjamin F. Marsh talked
on military legislation; Colonel Henry e.
Baird on the National Guard of the West, -
and Colonel Nicholas Sem closed the pro-
gram describing ''Esculapius on the Battle
field"
A feature of the banquet was the hand
painted menu card. To each card was at
tached with red, white and blue ribbon
an empty cartridge, the bullet from which
was fired at the Spaniards from San Juan
Hill by the battery under the command of
Lieutenant John H. Parker, one of the
speakers of the evening.
~