The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-04-20

Because of the uncertain attitude Of
the organlssd miiitia foroes IN the vari-
Gus States relative to the terms that
might be Insisted upon In eysnt of their
,bsing called, as orgsnizationA into the
Federal service In event OF war with
Spain. the government sssms to deem it
advisable 70 partislly ignore the. national
guard. Ne snch In planning for increas-
Ing the military strength. Doubtless this
proposition has aroused some antagonism
on the part of militiamen who ara not
acquainted with the somewhat oompli-
Gated factors involved.
To the mind OF the uninitiated there
is probably some confession as to the
terms national guard" and "militiA
The former represents the organized
militia. The latter term includes every
able bodied man between the ages OF IS
and 40 whether. In time Of peacs. he
maintains any military association or
not. Everv citizen of the country te-
tween the ages of IS and 4b is militia
man In the sense OF the law, which
places at the command OF the President
OF the United States the service OF the
militia" In time of need, to be enlisted
and sent anywhere. at home or abroad.
that the government may need him.
This militia foroe, whether 1t is brought
into the service by volunteering or draft,
IL subject to the orders OF the commands
er-in-chisf, the President, for such duty
at such places AZ hs may deem proper.
The position Of the national guard.
thar is the organized militia OF the ssv-
eral States, maintained by the States
assisted by the central government Is
different. as, according to many who arc
versed In military law. the guard Is
primarily subject to state authority,
aud. while the President may send IL to
the defense Of q State other than It's own
he cannot ordcr 10 on foreign service
without either its own conssnt or the
consent of its State government. In a
foreign war, therefore, the organized
militia might not be available ss such,
although individually the members
might enlist or be drafted into the vol
unteer or. provisional service that, like
the regular army is directly and solely at
the command OF the war department.
There has been made evident temper
in certain Statss to demand Of the Fed
ersl govsrnment certain concessions as
to authority before coiumittlng the ma
tional guardsmen in organized bodies to
the ssrvioe OF their country In event of
war with Spain. Doubtless in some
quarters commanding officers Of the ma
tional guard may be jealous lest they be In
any way subordinated TO regular army
officers or turning over the troops of
their commands to the war department.
Suoh suggestions, as we'll a. the compli-
Dations that might arise to reduce the
harmony and efficiency Ct the combined
force Of regular army, volunteer army
and organizsd militia, have contributed
TO make the government very careful in
Its plans to inoresss the military strength
Of the nation at this time, 30 that the
Dall to arms Is likely to be call for In
dividuai volunteers for enlistment,
rather than plan to take the already or
ganizsd military bodies of the several
statss directly and bodily into the gov
srnInsnt service. ~
The bill now bafors Cousrsss, howsvsr.
provides for this maintenancs of the
national guard organisations in the
volunteer army. though the members
lhereOf mnst indiyidusliy enlist fer
service.
Strictly within ths Law, 1t Is maintain
I'd by some authosities that the President |
ian do what he plsases a. to- avAiiing
himself Of tho service Of the militia,
whether in organized bodies or not
Upon his acts there could BE- no review
Ink authority to Affirm or deny. At the
same time, the tscbpicaI embarrassments
that might ensus under csrtain ooudi-
tions may evidently best be avoided by |
taking q course that shall make no CON-
tlict with any of the interests conserned.
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