The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-04-27
Volunteers WILL
NOT B TROOPS
Of THE STATES.
Governors Having Nothing
to Do With Their
Enrolment.
ARE NOT THE MILITIA.
Allthe Power That the Governors
Have Is to Name Ger
tain Officers.
No Member OF ths National Guara 10
Compelled to G0. lntess lie ChOes.
es-Thc Govesncrs Are Responding
to the Cali with Great AlaCptty
and VIII Have the vOlunseers
Ready for Enr0llment nc the An.
peistea Rendezvous Within : VERY
hssief Period seereeasy AIger
lssues Addittsaal lastruetiens.

WASHINGTON. April ss.-Some difYer-
ence OF opinion exists among the war de-
partEsent. officials as 20 the precise steps
which shall be taken to recruit for the
volunteer army called into service by the
president. Although the telexrams sent
by the department to the governors OF tho
various states were entirely those OF In
ouiry. the Inference is drawn that the
governors are given certain preroxasivea
In the way OF raising a volunteer army.
This 10 combated by some Of the law Of
ficers OF the war department, who hold
that the act as passed does not admit Of
such Interpretation. Maj. J. n. Morrison,
assistant to the Judge advocate OF the
army and a high authority on military
law. in conversation with representative
of the Associated Press. expressed hia
views on this subject. which. however, he
said were entirely unofficial and personal.
He says there Is no provIsion IN the voi-
unteer army act for any state or the gov~
ernor or any officer thereof TO enlist any
one for either the regusar or volunteer
-
anything TO do with the raising OF either
branch. except that the governors arg TO
appoint certain designated officers OF the
volunteer branch. The enlisted men arc
obtained IN the same way In both branches
that Is by volunteering. The governors
have no more authority 10 raise the vol
unteer branch than TO raise the regular
branch. and 1t Is not likely that one OF
them has single dollar in the state
treasury that can lawfully be used for
raising either branch. There is nothing
In the act that can be construed 10 pro-
vide that any state organisation shall 10
transferred as a state organization into
the United States service-"mnstered In"
as the state volunteer Organizations Of
1861 TO 1856 were -and IL the militia Officers
are not appointed as volunteer officers, or
II they are appointed and do nbt accept
the appointments. they will remain militia
officers Bur II they are appointed and
do accept the appointment. they will prob
ably have 10 resign as militia officers IL
they do NOT resign. they Will simply hold
two ofIlces-one In the state militia. and
one In the United States volunteer army.
The act assumes that the members Of
the state militia organizations viii enlist
In the volunteer army, bnt does not pro.
vide for them 10 do 80. that Is. II does
not require them to do so. Any one else
Is as clearly eligible 10 fight as they are.
Ii might be said. sesa Nal Morrison.
tha, unless something Is done by their re-
specsive governors 70 prevent II, these
mIliiismen Will flnd that their obligations
under the state law A. members OF tho
state militia ORGANIZATIONS wta be or
stac'es In the way Of their entry into the
United States volunteer service.
The responses of the governors OF ths
states and territories 10 the teiesrams os
the secretary of war. notifying them oe
The quota Of men they viii be expected 10
furnish under the presidents preeiama-
ton. and asking them when they viii be
ready for muster into the United stlfes
service. has been prompt sna gratifying.
The greater part 81 the executives have
replied. and their answers generally have
been very satisfactory. indicating the tins
within which the state troops viii be ready
TO muster into the service Of the govern
ment.
Gov Hastings, Of Pennsylvania, was tho
first Of the state executives 70 respond.
and replies from the others came ii quick
succession during the nigh, ard this morn
ing
Secretary Aiger followed up els sele-
gram Of notification to the goveraors with
letter giving more detailed information
respecting the troops that are 70 be raised
ard making other suggestions deemed nec-
esssry. The letter is ~ foilows:
washington. d C.. April q. fk4.
ITO the Governor OF ---------.
"5ir: Under the act or congress 30
provide for temporarily Increasing tho
military establishment OF the United
States In time Of war. and for either ptr-
yosss.' and approved April 2, lsss. eau
for izssno volunteers has been lssued BY
direction Of the presiasaI I have u