The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1898-03-12
NATIONAL
Their Status as Regards the Ma
tional Government.
They Are Subject to the Presidents Orders
Without Recourse, for Duty In or
Outside of the United States MI.
nOrs Being Weeded Out.

ANSAoS a " ho &c SHS
national guard? What is its relation
to the state and national governments,
separately and conjunctively? What
are its liabilities to each? What
changes from its present status would
follow its impressment into national
Service?"
These questions were put to Judge
Advocate Gen. Clifford i. Allen, of the
First regiment, for the information OF
h public, and were all answered cate
gorically with an i~ncisiveness and COM
prehensiveness betokening recent spe-
cific research.
"The national guard is a citizen sol
diery of the United States" he began.
cit is both a state and, as the term sig
mites, a national guard. 1t is the re-
serve army of this Countrywide only
one we have. 1t is not only subject to
the call of the governors of the states,
but j, is also subject to the president,
1t a be used by the governors OF
the several states to uphold the law
within their respective states; it can'be
used by the United States to repel any
hostile force which may attempt to in
wade h country. There is an impress.
sion in the minds of some that the Ma,
tional guard can be used only within
the states to which the commands re
spe~ctivcly belong; but under the acts
of congress, based upon constitutional
provision, the national guard Of any
state may be used under the orders o:
the president withoutthe United States
That is to say, if the president saw fit,
he could order the national guard foI
duty in Cuba or Canada. 1t other
words, after the national guard has
been ordered into the service of the
United States government. the only dis
tinction, so far as its duty is concerned
is that h courts-martial which may
be called upon to try military offenders
of national guardsmen must be com
posed of officers of the national guard.
That is the only distinction that occurs
to me at the present time as regards
the service"
How would it be called into the
service of the United StateS?"
I'm the event that the president OF
the United States should desire troops
from the national guard, he would ad,
dress a request to the governors of such
states as commanded the troops he de-
sired to furnish the number of men re
quiTed from such state, to report at g
designated point. He would simply
say to Gov. Stephens: L desire 2,OOt
men from you, to report at Allan
ia or Mobile or any other
point; and the governor would
through his Acknowledgement and
general of militia, select such troops as
he saw fit, to report in accordance with
such order at the point designed. Or
arrival the troops would be reported
to the United States army officer il
command.
CATER such report of the various reg.
iments of the national guard to the
United States government, what would
become of the personal stats of the re,
7spective colonies is 4 matter of some
considerable conjecture. AS a rule, in
the national guard the duties of quar-.
termaster and commissary are per.
formed by staff officers appointed by
the colonies of the respective regi-
ments. No officers of the line, as a
rule, have had any experience in either
of the two capacities. There are not
in the national guard, as in the United
States army, extra lieutenants who do
perform such service for their re-
spective regiments. 1t might be
possible, in the absence of
such extra ~lieutenauts. that
~ these two staff positions might
be retained; or e. the officers holding
such commissions might BE- detailed for
department service; or 81 the United
States might dispense entirely with the
officers holding such commissions But
in the event of the prosecution of hos
tilities on an extensive scale, there is
little doubt that the government would
lind use for all men who had expert
cnce in either OF these two departments;
or, for that. mater, all who had any
military education at all. l believS
that should hostilities begin, and con.
tinue for say nine or twelve months,
you would see the men who are o
filling non-commisSioned officers place
holding commissions as licutenantS and
captains. People who have not given
study to the subject would be IL +
.prised to learn how small is the per.
centage of men who are able even IL
command n company. [ may say, in
this connection, that national guards
men can only be made use OF uIr
der the first call for nine months.
That is, they can only be used by
che government of the United States
for its purposes for nine months, sub
ject to a call such as has been hereto
fore mentioned. The relation of the
national guard to their respective
states would not change; they would
simply be mustered out of the govern
ment service, as would a volunteer,
and be allowed to return to their
homes.
THE conclusions L have given you
are those given to the colonel of the
First regiment as a basis for his con
duct in the event of a call, and [ will
add that he will obey any order that
comes to him through the proper char
mel"
Mr.. Allen stated that, should ths
First regiment be called into service by
the federal government, its ranks
,yould contain the full complement O;