The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-03-01
v AR SPIRIT
OF MILITIA
Leaders Of the GuardSme en-
Hold an Important
Council.
Officers and Enlisted Men
Would Gladly Volunteer
for Service.
In the Event of War Ten Million Loyal
Citizens Would Shoulder
Muskets.

Major General ]. H. Dickinson, divi
sion commander of the National Guarc
! of California, Adjutant-General A. w
Barrett and Brigadier- General r. II
Warfield, Second Brigade, held coun
Gil of war yesterday and discussed the
military situation. The sentiment OF
patriotism is very active in the guard
and should war be declared many OF
the members would ask for immediate
| duty at the front.
| General Warfield was asked last
evening what proportion of the Ma
| tionaI Guard would volunteer for en-
listment in the United States service
in the event of war with Spain lie
replied that he could not give an esti-
mate When asked if so per cent would
enlist to go out of the State and serve
in any field selected by the Govern
| ment he replied: Il have yet to lind
the first officer or enlisted man who
would not willingly go to the front
should we have war with Spain"
General Warfield seems to entertain
the idea that the troops of the National
Guard would be called for at once by
General Miles to serve for period of
ninety days while the volunteer regi-
ments were being organized. 1t is his
opinion that the occupation of Cuba
would be immediate, and that the or
ganized State troops would join the ex-
petition to the island.
Various opinions exist as to What the
status of the National Guard would be
in the event of hostilities with Spain.
officers of the United States army gen.
orally incline to the opinion that vol
unteer regiments would be organized
independently of the National Guard
and sworn into the service of the
United States. The Government. in
former times had so much trouble in
dealing with State troops that unquali-
fed obedience to the United States is
now demanded by the terms of enlist
ment.
In a digest by the Judge Advocate
General Of the United States this view
is taken: In the exercise of it's con-
stitutional power to provide for calling
forth the militia and to provide for
organizing the same, etc, Congress
has made no distinction between any
different portions of the force or recog-
nized any such portions as National
Guard. The United States statutes
take no notice of National Guard as
such If called out it is not as Ma
tionaI Guard but as militia; and when
so called forth or included in call it
must be governed by the existing laws
for the organization discipline, ETC., of
the militia. The act of February %,
1895, authorizing the President to call
out the militia, is constitutional, and
the President is the final judge of the
emergency justifying such call.
The President can call on State
Governor for troops. Should the Gov
ernor fail to obey the order the Pres
ident can call on the commander of the
State troops next lower in rank and so
on down the line until he can get the
troops in the field. An officer failing to
obey the President may be tried and
punished by court-martial.
There is no doubt that California
would supply her quota of troops i'm
mediately under call from the Presi-
dent but it is a question whether the
National Guard regiments would go as
organizations or new volunteer regi-
ments be raised.
Colonel Fairbanks, for example, COM
mands a National Guard regiment
which is the equal of any troops of this
class in the United States, but his
regiment, the Fifth Infantry, n. g. c.,
if accepted would be sworn into the
service of the United States, and this
would involve the enlistment of each
member of the regiment. Col. James
F. Smiths First Infantry is another
excellent regiment, but if its service
was accepted the men would be obliged
to enlist in the United States volunteer
army and be subject to the orders of
the Government. National Guards
men, having had military instruction,
might obtain preference in enlistment.
The militia as recognized by the Gov
eminent consists OF every able-bOdied
male citizen between the ages of Is and
45 years. Uncle Sam has therefore
about ten millions of men able for mill
tary duty. 1t is not wild estimate to
say that the President could get one
million men to voluntarily enlist. After
six months of camp instruction, active
drill and constant care and discipline
by fairly capable officers an effective
and disciplined force of six hundred
thousand men could be evolved.