The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1898-04-09
CITIZEN SOLDIERS.
AUTHORITY OVER THE MILITIA,
Probable That Mllitiamen Would Be
Enlisted in the United States Army
Before Being Sent to the Front.
The Drafting Process.

NeneVer they are called upon, the
members Of the Maryland National Guard
~ill he ready to 90 to the front IN defense
months everything has been gotten in
readiness, and, while the Officers OF the
Guard keep silent when questioned as to
the extent Of the preparations, there is
little doubt that there has recently been
increased .,ctivity both in the ranks and in
the quarters OF those in command of the
men.
Some question has arisen in regard to the
power of the President to summon any
militia regiment for &uty out,ne OF the
State in which it was enlisted, and lnspec-
tor-General Thomas S. Mumford has
already stated that experience had indi-
Gated that the President had no authority
to order the State National Guard any
where outside of the boundaries OF the
respective Commonwealths He called
attention to the fact that the policy Of the
United States in the past had been to
appeal to the patriotism of its citizens and
to call for volunteers when it wished to
raise armies for general defense. This pro-
cedure was followed in the Mexican war
and also in the war between the States
VALUE OF TRAINED MEN.
Brigadier. General Lawrason Riggs said
one day this week, that the augmentation
of the regular amy would naturally be the
first step taken by the War Department if
war should be declared. The enlistment
of volunteers would begin at the beginning
and continue until there were no more
volunteers in evidence. The President
would likely call upon each State to fur
nsh its quota of troops, and General Riggs
considers it likely that the National Guard
would be the fist men selected by the
various Governors.
"They are men, he continued, ''who
are trained in the art of war and would
require comparatively no teaching in COM
parison to what would be necessary to
make good soldier of citizen who had
never before handled musket or sword.
New militia companies might be organized
when the existing State troops had gone TO
the front and thus men of at least some
experience might be kept within call.
AN OFFICIAL MEMORANDUM.
few days ago the military division OF
the office OF the Adjutant General in Wash
ington issued memorandum concerning
the calling out of the militia. Ii was pre-
pared by Lieut. Col. George B. Davis,
deputy judge advocate general, in reply to
several questions which had been asked.
1t will he seen from this communication
that it is probable tlat if militamen were
placed at the disposal of the government by
States which had been called upon to pro-
duce troops, they would be regularly en-
listed in the United States Army before
they went TO the seat OF war, after which
they would be entirely in control OF the
government authorities, and could be sent
wherever they were wanted.
THE QUESTIONS ASKED.
The questions, in general, which were
asked, We're:
/. If the President should call upon the
militia of one State for duty in another,
would il be necessary that it be mustered
into the general service by any oath other
than that administered to the men as mill
tiamen in their own State?
.. Does the call OF the President neces-
sarily have to be made through the Cover
nor OF the State?
3. In calling out the militia, would it
be within the power of the President to
designate certain organizations, or would
he have to limit himself to making a requi-
sition for certain number of men?
THE REPLIES GIVEN.
The decision OF the Adjutant Generals
department in the first case is that under
the practice Of the War Department, an
oath of allegiance is essential to the mus
tering in OF militiamen. The practice,
however, is not required or especially sane
toned by law, and is subject to mOdtica-