Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-04-30
SITUATION IN THIS STATE.
Peculiar Phases Of the Trouble in the
National Guard.
Affairs Are Also Badly Mixed in q
Number of the Other States-A
Lack OF System in Recruiting the
Members in West Virginia Other
Local Matters in Connection
With the War

With the War.
The mix-up among the National
Guard of this State, as result of the
call for troops by the President, has
been duplicated in some OF the other
States, and is wretched piece of bus
mess all around In New York several
regiments, among the the crack Sew
enth, refused to move a step because
they could not have the assurance they
would serve under their own officers,
and in Kansas the entire National
Guard of the State disbanded, and all
arms and uniforms, etc, were ordered
shipped to the State capital. In Penn
sylvania the Guard was greatly dis
couraged through orders which meant
the breaking up of regiments and their
consolidation into a smaller number
Of commands, and in various other
States there is more or less trouble.
All this could have been obyiated by a
proper national military law. The
three battalion system should have been
adopted by Congress and concurred in
by every State Legislature two decades
ago. Under that system the State Ma
tional Guards should have been organ
lied, in skeleton regiments if such were
necessary, but each regiment would
have been susceptible of prompt eXpan-
sion through the enlistment Of recruits
to the war strength of twelve hundred
men. Then, if one or any other number
of regiments were called for by the
general government, all that would be
necessary would be to recruit the resi-
ment to the full strength, if it was
short, and send it to the front under its
own officers, holding regiments not
called for in reserve, u answer any
subsequent call which might ~ made.
Here in West Virginia we have two
regiments with an authorized strength
of twenty-four hundred. One regiment
was called for. Why not have taken
one or the other. authorized its recruit
ment to the full strength, and send it
to meet the call Of the government
under the regimental officers? The
other regiment might or might not
have also been recruited, according TO
the exigencies of the situation, and
held for possible State emergencies, or
to answer any further call from the
government, which coming, it could
take the field in turn. This would have
obviated all i'll feeling, delay and trou-
BILE, have been satisfactory to both Of
ficers and men, and have given the
ho IL Slyp6 for Wit n
the utmost promptness. The National
Guard is not to be considered as a toy,
and soldering is not play. If there is
to be such thing as National Guard
it should be organized upon scientific
principles, capable Of prompt mobiliza-
ton, and willing to go anywhere for
any purpose, but it should mot be eX-
pected to remain organized for years
upon an improper and faulty basis,
and then, when the time Of need comes,
to have the organization disrupted and
its officers reduced or set aside, and,
with the inevitable resulting discour-
agement to the rank and file. 1t would
be as easy as lying to organize Ma
tional Guard among the States which
should be capable of responding to a
call from the general government In
twenty-four hours. Under the existing
lack of system nearly week has pass
ed since the call came, and everything
is chaos There should be a remedy
without loss Of time, and one which
will so cover the case that when next
there comes a call on West Virginia
for a regiment of troops the response
should go back in six hours: "Regi-
ment on the cars; where are they need
ed In military matters anything less
than this is child's play and intolerable.
If we're going to have soldiers let us
have them.