The herald., 1898-11-06

the several states must maintain
militia forces, for their own purposes,
wise economy suggests that these
forces be also made available for ma
tional purposes. when necessary, rs
provided and limited in the constitu-
tion. But the national armies, availa-
BILE for all kinds Of national service,
should manifestly be organized and
maintained solely by the national gov
ernment.
If the above proposition is accepted.
then it is clear that there should be
national reserve, ready at all times 70
reinforce the United States army,
whenever the emergency may require.
1t may be well here to note popu-
lar error in drawing a distinction be-
tween regulars" and volunteers.
There are no troops in this country but
volunteers. The volunteers belonging
to the government establishment may
well enough be called regulars" be-
cause they have become regulated,
but those still needing to be regulated
are no more volunteers on that ac-
count.
The organization of national re-
serve is a matter of great importance.
The subject should be maturely con-
sdered by.a commission of expert Of
ficers, whose report might be made the
basis of necessary legislation. 1t is be-
lieved the system need not be very eX-
pensive. All the principal officers
should be officers of the army, de-
tached from their regiments tempo
rarly, at the proper season every year,
to organize drill and discipline the re-
serves. BY arrangement with the state
authorities and in consideration of the
money appropriated by Congress for
the state militia, the arnories in the
cities could be used for drill purposes
by the national reserves, perhaps also
the state camp grounds. 1t might even
be possible that such of the officers ana
men of the state regiments as could
pass the requisite examinations might
be commissioned and enlisted IN the
national reserve, still retaining theii
places in their militia regiments until
ordered into active service of the Uni
ted States. In this way all or the So
called national guards of the several
states who possess the requisite mental
and physical qualifications ana are
ambitious to serve the national govern
ment could have their places assigned
them in advance and be ready to join
their regiments in the United States
service at moments notice. The
places vacated by them in the militia
regiments would, of course, be filled by
the state authorities.
These and other details will require
careful consideration. and doubtless
some modification from time to time as
the result of experience. Hence legis-
lation should be broad and general in
terms, leaving much to executive di-
rection. The problem is to provide IN
advance large body of officers ana
men qualified for the military service
and ready to enter 1T at short notice.
thus saving the long delays and un-
avoidable errors incident to the enroll
ment examination and instruction of
men and officers after their services
have become necessary. This problem
ought not to be difficult nor very ex-
pensive, and, as above suggested, it
may be solved in such way as to give
full opportunities to all of the organ
lied militia of the several states who
have the patriotic ambition and the
mental and physical qualifications to
serve the United States in time of war.
1t may be objected that the President
cannot inteligently appoint so many
officers But this objection will disap
pear If it is provided that the appoint
ments shall be made upon the recon-
of board of army officers.
The national reserve should include
as many as possible of the veterans of
former wars, both in civil life and on
the retired list of the army, who are
still able to act as inspectors and in
structors, though not to command
troops in campaign, thus to diminish
the evils resulting from lack of prac-
tical experience.
JOHN NJ. SCHOFIELD,
Major General, U. S. A, Retired.