New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-06-16
ARMY LEGISLATION NEEDED
NONDESCRIPT ORGANIZATIONS LOCALIZED
BY THE ACT-HAMPERlNG THE ARMY

NONDEsCRIPT ORGANIZATIONS LOCALIZED
BY THE ACT-HAMPERlNG THE ARMY
rBr TELEGRAPH TO TRIBuNEl
v.sn,,r,on Tune 15-Congress will be urged
Tomorrow TO remedy the radical evil IN inc law
under which the Volunteer Army IL orsani2el
-. .,-;L,rs M, the insidlous rider injected
into the measure at the instigation OF the M
,,oral Guard lobby. which hung around the
corridors of the Capitol two months ago ana
effectually blocked legislation needed 10 Se0"''
n modern Army organization
This clause which caused nine-tentns Of A"-
,,,ant-General Corbin's difficulties and embar-
easements in rnobUizing the force of lou"
men called out by the Presidents proclamation
~ Anru % and eventually made necessary
second call OF 1900 men to I'LL up the rinlcu
Ions skeletonized regiments which we're loiste'
unon the Government by various states. Win
their abnormal strength Of officers ana Hec'-
mated ranks OF enlisted men. crept lnhoceh''S
into Saction 6 OF the Act Of April -. proVlu"'s
for the increase OF the military establishments
IN time OF war This section. stipuiauhs ''''''
the Volunteer Army. and especially the h'i"''u
OF the States when called into the service VI
the United States shall be organized uhus.
and shall be subject to the laws orueIs u'''
regulations governing the Regular Army. Was
practically nulliaed II now appears, by the np-
parently coorless but vicious provision:
Provided further That when the members 9'
any company. troop. battery pa''aHoh oI
ment OF the organized militia IN any state sn"''
enlist in the volunteers in a body, as su'n cuiil-
pany troop. battery, battalion or regiment ,ii'
reglmental, company. troop. battery anu od''
ION officers In service with the militia orsah'LA-
tions thus enlsting may be appointed ny '"S
Governors OF the States and Territories hu
shall. when so appointed. he oricers Oh CO.. 80,
spending grades in the same organization N"o'
~ shall have been received into the service o.
the United States part OF the volunteer
Army.
The upshot Of this clause OF highly involved
vcrbiage which speedily forced upon the
Army officers charged with mastering IN 'he
volunteers. was not realized until the Legal
and the accounting officers Of the Government
interpreted II a mandate TO compel the au-
mission Of organizations legalzed by state
enactments into the Volunteer Army without
change Under this interpretation which no
effort has been able TO modify. piebald ana
hybrid organizations without number were
forced into service and the patent advantages
OF uniformity and systematic formations were
swept aside. resulting in the ncongruous dis
play Of regiments Of seven hundred men ana OF
any number between that ngure and twelve
we're charged with making homogeneous. SYM
metrical armies out Of these organizations
When the aabsurdity and impossioiliiy or THIS
dawned upon the officers OF the volunteer regi-
ments themselves the States, we'll as the
politicians. finally consented 10 recruiting oil
the regiments in service up 10 the maximum and
this was attempted TO be put into practice under
the second call
In the last few days however, the disagree
able question has brought Itself again 10 the
front with the promise OF becoming as trouble
some as ever. through the necessity for de-
cision by the accounting officers 81 the Treas-
urv regarding the payment ot troops. II hos
been intirnated TO the War Department officials
that the Treasury Department Will he COM
PEELED TO recognize the right 81 State militia
organizations which have been accepted as such
for service IN the Volunteer Army 70 retain
the nondescript and Irregular organizations. with
their topheavy officers and scattering ~ priVaies
and that the main purpose u Section q. when
was 10 make the volunteers and militia homo
geneous with the Regular Army. when absorbed
for service in war time. must be set aside BY
the potent provided further which cgalizes
anything possessing sanction
However repugnant this epaltatlon % states
rights may be 70 the Nation ~ large. there ap-
pears 10 be no way 81 avoiding II and securing
an effective Army organization FOR National de-
fence without eminn,lne the proviso altogether.
and this Congress will be asked 20 do directly.