Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-04-16

to command the camp during the target
| practice season ending May Ia. Battalion
commanders will report to the camp COM
mander Immediately upon their arrival at
the range.
The cooked ration or lunch for one day
will be furnished by the men individually,
| but coffee will be supplied gratuitousl.:
| three times daily during the camp.
| The following hours of duty each day
during the encampnent will be observed:
ReviHe, 5:45 a. M; tattoo, 10 p. m, anil
| taps, 1880 p. m.
| Militia in Active Service.
! To the monographs of the United States
Infantry Society has been added the prize
essay for 1897, SO declared by board of
award, consisting of Senator ]. r. Hawley,
Gen. Horace Porter and John c. Ropes. 1t
| is by Lieut.. j. G. Hartford, 9th United
| States Cavalry, and treats of the necessity
of a well-organZed and trained infantry
at the outbreak of war and the best means
| to be adopted by the United States for OBJ
! tanning such a force. Speaking of the mi
| litia Lieut.. Hartford says:
"A primary defect of the old militia law
| is in the excess of numbers it holds to
service. With our vast and constantly in
creasEg population active militia duty
| from the whole body of citizens between
eighteen and forty-five is an unnecessary
burden and Il proper division OF such citi-
| zens would be into two classes-an organic
ed and an unOrganized militia. The form
| er to consist of troops regularly volunteer
Ing and enlisted and organized by the diff
ferent states. This organized militia to be
exempt from military duty to the United
States except when called into service by
special act of Congress. Notwithstanding
the general assent to the importance of the
militia. the United States appropriates less
for the militia than do the several states.
And 1t is false idea that the money ap-
propriated for afming and equipping the
militia is money given them. The United
States manufactures o. buys war material.
which, instead of being boarded in armor-
les, is intruSred to the National Guard,
and while some by fair wear and tear in
public service become unserviceable, the
remainder is still the property of the Unit
ed States and can be utilized by it at any
time as it sees fit. From 1903 to 1857 the
annual appropriation was 100000. Since
1887 it has been $4,000 One state in the
Union alone appropriates $447 600 for it's
militia. There are in round numbers H.
coo organized militia in the country, prin-
cipally infantry. The money spent by tine
United States arming and eQuippng
this force averages about $3.50 for each
man. or about half enough to buy car
tridges for his annual target practice.
This is apportioned among the states &C.
cordtng to the numbers Of senator's and
representatives they have, respectively.
There Is nothing in such distribution to
militia beyond one hundred men to each
senator and representative. AS result,
the burden of supporting them is most
unequally distributed among the states
than their just proportion. This same
state of affairs prevailed in raising volun-
teers. Five states furnished three-fifths of
the two and one-half million men who went
to war between 1851 and 1865. New York
Pennsylvania and Ohio sent more soldiers
to fight for the Union than all the rest of
the nation combined. Ohio has more SOL
diors' widows and orphans than any other
half dozen states in the nation. Why
should Ohio this year appropriate $133 900
for militia against West Vfrginia's SIS 600
for the same purpose? Or New York ap--
propriate over 100000 and Arkansas, Ne
vada. Idaho and South Dakota not a cent?
order the organized militia into the serv-
ice of the United States for instruction
thirty days each year, and the whole
amount of the appropriation for the mill
tia should be apportioned pro rata among
the several states and territories and the
District of Columbia, according to the num-
Der of regularly commissioned and enlist
ed and organized militia appearing for
muster into this instruction service.
benefits of thc Appropriation.
"Other conditions to the benefits of the
appropriation should be:
First. The employment by the governors
of the respective states of such retired
regular officers as the Secretary of War
may decide able and fit for such duty as
officers of the National Guard, with one
grade higher than the retired rank. each
state commissioning its proportionate share
and appropriating such sums as with the
retired pay OF these officers will give them
the active pay OF the grade held In the mi
litia.
Second. Each state should require every
separate or1Anixattou on which its share