Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-07-04
STATE HOUSE..
Examinations Of Men for Batteries
Will Begin, This Week.
General Richards Ideas Regarding the Needs
Of the National Guard.

asked, Saturday, if he would give a
National Guard, and some of the
ways that it might be improved upon
and he kindly devoted some of his
valuable time to the matter. for there
isn't a man in tbs State, who is more
in demand and is buster than our
war adjutant general
He said a way to express some of his
ideas briefly and easily, was to give a
little article that appeared upon the
subject not long ago in Golfers Week
ly, and though it only covered in
measure his ideas, it was all practi-
cally as he believed
The article to which he referred was
as follows:
One of the first things to be ac-
lnowledged is the fact that we have
no National Guard The organized
militia of the several states must be
regarded as purelNstate troops. They
are a fine body of men. and for the
could be no better nor drawer soldiers
Their record is bright in Nebraska
where they faced the hostile Indians,
in Illinois, whore they saved the state
millions Of dollars in the Pullman
riots: in Wisconsin, whore they de-
Tended Milwaukee against the anar-
chists; in Ohio. where they dispersed
the strikers. and in New York, where
their services in 1895, in the street rail
way troubles We're inestimablc in the
preservation Of law and order. They
are part of the civil power. In the
duty of UNFOLDING it the miltiamen are
worthy Of the place they have won in
the hearts of the people. The citizen
soldier is patriotic and willing to fight
for his flag anywhere in the Union. 1t
is no reflection on his valor, or his
patriotism, To say that he had not en-
listed for foreign war. lie has
shown his Willingness to go to Cuba
but he was not satisfied with the pros
pect OF going as a recruit in some
regiment other than the one to which
he belonged as militiaman. If he
had been regular soldier it would
have made no difference to him, and
he would have gone to the front. a real
National Guard should have Federal
headquarters at Washington and be
governed. as are the British volun-
teers. who form a fine army of 30 900
men. There are needless multiplica-
tons of officers in certain state troops
differences in organization and equip
ment, various schemes for instruction
and other factors that make the gath |
n,in nf t1t ia HI. Ia
into an efficient army with the regu-
| lar army as the nucleus, a very slow
and. as we now see. a very discourag-
ing process.
The demonstrated fact that the So
| called National Guard is not to be de |
| pended upon in time of foreign war
raises the question, What is the |
remedy? IN Austria Italy, Germany. |
Russia, and France there exists at all
times what is called a general staff. for
the purpose of looking after the mill |
tary body as to organization, trans |
portation, equipment. armament, and |
supplies The general staff blaZes the |
way far ahead for any war that is at
all likely to occur. The staff does not |
execute plans, it formulatps them. The |
| United States has nothing in its civil |
| or military establishments that par
| allols this staff. Ii is true, there are
| the departments of quartcrmaSter. |
| chief of ordnance. ana of commisSary. |
! that look to actual needs in times of
I peace and war and report directly to
I the secretary of war If these depart
mentS had formulated plans within tn"
| last year to meet the military condi- |
| tiuns of today statesmen in Congress
| would have laughed ut them, and no
4 attention would have been given to The
/ views of men trained ana paid TO keep
| in touch With military development,
! foreaec the approach of war, and an
/ An establishment similar To the gen
cral staff of foreign government will
| become an absolute necessity in the
| naGement of an army of the size
| this country will hereafter he obliged
| to maintain. II it had been in exist
cnce with our small army of 5000
men. that number would have been
! found efficient, and 100000 more men
| could have been organized from the
! National Guard much more cXpcdi-
| tiously than has been done under our
present lack of system. With the staff
/ in office, the $4,000 men would have
instantly made an outer line Of resist
| ance, under the cover of which the
| volunteer forces could have been re
cruited at leisure and with success.