New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-28
DIFFICULTIES MAY ARISE
nrrrcrs ~ THE EQUIPMENT oF THE STATE
Troops POINTED OFT TWO YEARS AGO

ny GENERAL MLrwrE
some =, tho difficulties which will - experienced
when the National Guard goes into artiv" service
wc-c anticipated IN 1906 hy General McLew"". In
,no report which no made NJ iha' time part
o, which was suppressed because e criticised m"
,,o,s. :. % some ~ 'he departments General NJ
Icncc sa.I On tho subject Of arms uniforms and
equipments
Tho improycmcn' shown in The care o, arms
Uniforms AMI equipments AZ lne inspe, lione ."'S
,.1~ ote- last ,ehrs was marked. bur m" flnes OF
several ~ rho regiments teqdlr" NOR" attention ~
r.tng re- threatened with ruin hy rust. Tn" arms
~ ne separate COMPARES w"r" in excellent condl-
s.oGh new rife o. small caibre 10 adopted
for The use a. our troops which seems probable.
am ~ Tho oginion that n would be- wise 20 retain
me present Remington rife also FOR rs" boz street
Dl "",S ,,,ii .,Ter'se for he nse of shells con-
,ft,,, 3D.. 49, C,fir h.rkshof which would mn ke
thcin more cnectiv" for such duty man small
arr 10 XIII Innocent people far from the probable
scene o. disturbauce. There can p" no question
about the udvisahiliiy Of furnishing The Guard
with the most modern arm that can be procured
for use iu case ~ war and for practice at long
ranges preparatory thereto. and Will" me retention
Of the other would entail additional work upon
armorv employees. Dr. can hardly be considered >
sufficient argument against its prartlcahiliiy and
No ammunition has Vet been issued for royolyers
carried by non commissioned officers. and these
rrvolNors are of an obsolete pattern ~ Is impos sble
70 purchase tho same in ~" market. ana when
ordered ~ has 10 b" sp"ciSl mad' whlch means
ezra tim" and expense. know ~ ono separate
company that order Tor Surn ammunition
that mad i-en filled IN three months after the
order WAS received al the factory. and tho plight
OF tho men armed with this weapon In time Of
trouble can. therefore. DE readily imagined
The optional authority given commanding officers
70 take from nrst and "rge'nis their
,incs and Civ. thcm in lieu thereof swords and
these old reNolNers seems to grave mistake
FOR many reasons. FIRST. In cas-" "" were called
into thu service Of TN" General Government these
non missioncd officers would az once have these
arms taken from them and he given the rife in
stead = weapon they would be- unfamiliar with
as proven at tho Inspections this year. when
some of these men demonstrated that they did not
know IN" new manual or arms. second. first ser
gcau' should be a model soldier OF the company
and the way he carries and conducts himself and
~ other times should be the pattern for an he
Other men, third the Guartermaster- sergeant is al
WAYS with his train. I'm charge OF public property
Outlines with a very small guard. and. pres
ent equipped he - poweri"ss 10 protect either him.
self or his property. fourth. our firing force is
now altogether too small and II is a grave error
to still further reduce II. NTH. the sword ia the
insignia OF the officer and should be used hv
enlisted men except non-commssloned staff officers
whose duties are purely Of clerical or non-cOm-
Blatant nature with tho exception OF two or three
sixth. tho United States Army has Agitatod this
question FOR the last nty-hve years and has
and what Is best for the Army ought 10 b. good
enough for IL. Inasmuch as no order was ever
issued 70 commanding officers directing them to
discard the rife for these men. but leaving II op-
tlonal with them 10 do 50. speak thus strongly on
the subject. and II IL source Of qualification 10
ind that the large majority OF best troops
have not made the Innovation.