Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-04-22
The Volunteer Army Bill.

The volunteer army bill, that passed
the senate yesterday, having previously
passed the house of representatives, is
a permanent measure. 1t provides for
the enlistment and organization of vol
unteers In such manner and
numbers as the president may
deem necessary. The appointment
of all rcgimental officers including col
onels of regiments is left to the gov
ernors of states, field and staff officers
are appointed by the president. The
measure, being considered All emer-
gency, passed both houses in two days.
The war department, in the original
draft of the bill, desired that the APP
pointment of all commissioned officers
to rest with the president, but the pres
sure of the National Guard and of the
governors of states was too great and
this proviso was changed so as to give
the nominations of regimental officers
to the governors. The bill is very com
prehensive and contains provisions en-
bodying modern ideas of military or
ganization, drill, equipment and war,
fare. 1t is very probable that it will be
a law before evening.
The sections of the bill as to the or
g%anization read as follows:
Sec. 5.-That when it becomes neces-
sary to raise a volunteer army the presi.
dent shall issue his proclamation stating
the number of men desired, within such
limits as may be fixed by law, and the
secretary of wal shall prescribe such
rules and regulations, not inconsistent
with the terms of this act, as may in his
Judgment be necessary for the purpose
of examining, organizing and receiving
into service the men called for; pro.
vided, that all men received into service
in the volunteer army shall, as far as
practicable, be taken from the several
states and territories and the District
of Columbia in proportion to their popu'
lation
Sec. 6.-That the volunteer army and
the militia of the states, when called
into the service of the United States, be
organized under, and shall be subject
to the laws, orders and regulations gov
erning the regular army; provided that
each regiment of the volunteer army
shall have one surgeon and one assistant
surgeon, and that all the regimental
and company officers shall be appointed
by the president, upon the recommends
ton of the governors of the states in
which their respective organizations are
raised, subject to such an examination
as to fitness and capacity as the presi.
dent may prescribe; provided, further,
that when the members Of any company
or regiment of the organized militia OF
any state shall enlist in the volunteer
army in n body, as such company or
regiment, the regimental and company
officers in service with the militia or
ganization thus enlisting may be APP
pointed by the president, subject to
such an examination as to the fitness
and capacity of said officers of CORE
spending grades In the same organiza-
ton when it shall have been received
into the service of the United States as a
part of the volunteer army.
Sec. 12.-That all officers and enlisted
men of the volunteer army and of the
militia of the states when in the service
of the United States shall be in all re-
spects on the same footing as to pay al
lowances and pensions as that of officers
and enlisted men Of corresponding
grades in the regular army.
Sec. 13.-That the president may, up
on the recommendation of the governors
of states, appoint officers of the regular
army in the grades of field officers In
organizations of the volunteer army,
and officers thus appointed shall be
entitled to retain their rank in the
regular army; provided, that not more
than n officer of the regular army
shall be commissioned in any one regi-
ment of the volunteer army at the same
time.