Evening star., 1898-04-15
MILITIA OF THE COUNTRY
President Can Call Into Service 100000
Men.
General Miles Explains the Law and
Eject Of senate Resolution
IL Passed.

Major General Miles. commanding the
army. said to Star reporter today that
considerable misapprehension exists in re-
gard TO the raising of troops In the event
of war. He thought that the people should
understand the situation more thoroughly
than appeared to be the case at present.
In the event of the passage of she rcso-
luton reported by the Senate foreign af-
fairs committee, said General Miles. tine
President would have authority to call into
the service of the government militia to
the number of about l2OU0.OD men. The
third section of the resolution directs and
empowers the President to use the entire
land and naval forces Of the United States,
and to call into the actual service of the
United States the militia of the several
states, TO such extent as may be necessary
to carry these resolutions into effect
The provisions of the Constitution bear
Ing upon this question are "a follows:
To declare war grant letters of marqu-
and reprisal and make rules concerning
captures on land and water.
10 raise and support armies. but no ap
preparation of money to that use shall be
for Il longer term than TWO years
TO provide and maintain navy
To make rules for the government and
regulation of the land and naval forces.
To provide for calling forth the mill
tld 70 execute tne laws OF the Mon, sup
press instructions and repel inVaSionS.
TO provide for organizing arming and
disciplning the militia and for governing
such part of them may be employed in
the service of the United States, reserving
to the states respectively the appointment
of the officers and the authority of training
the militia according to the discipline pre-
Scribed by Congress-
Section 1621 of the Revised Statutes pro-
videS follows:
Every able-bodied citizen of the re-
spective states. resident therein who is of
the age of eighteen years and under the
age OF forty-fvc years. shall be enrolled in
the militia
This statute was enacted May 8, 1882 1t
was based on the provisions of the Cousti-
tuition, and, never having been repealed is
still the law of the land governing the en-
rloyment of the militia in time of war 1t
Is safe to estimate that ore out Of every
NE persons III every community in the
| Hited States is capable of bearing arms
and. therefore. according to the present
population of the country. there are over
12,Uh.Gm persons in the United States ca
pable of bearing arms in its defense and
clearly subject to service in the militia
under the fundamental laws of the United
States"
Gen. Miles said he made the above state
ment for the benefit Of the public as he
thought the people of the country should
understand the Presidents bowers in the
premises. He refused to say anything at
this time with regard to the military on
erations in case of war with Spain further
than to say that complete preparations had
been made for the prompt movement of
troops to any point or points where they
might be needed. in case of an emergency
He admitted that he had recommended the
Chickamauga National Park as a suitable
place for the mobilization of troops and
added that not more than nineteen hours
would be required for the concentra ton of
troops at any point on the Atlantic or gulf
coasts where their services might be needed