New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-05-01
REGULARS AND GUARDSMEN.

Colonel William /. Watson Of the 18th Regi-
ment, y. G. s. ~ Y, Is dispeased with the
Army regulations under which call for volun-
teers was made and his displeasure has led
him 10 question the motives of the Washington
authorities. He is quoted as saying that the
series Of orders relative to calling out the Ma
tonal Guard was merely part or a scheme 10
crush it so that there might appear to be neces-
sty for a greater Regular Army; that while
the Guard remained as effective as 1t now is
there was no need Of a greater standing army.
but that the war gave the professional military
men their opportunity to crush the Guard ana
they were doing II.
Inasmuch as the Regular Army did not wish
10 interfere at all with the National Guard,
but sought to leave 1t to perform It's proper
functions. and asked to recruit regulars who
could meet the conditions deemed necessary for
effective service in Cuba and so avoid any
transformation Of the Guard, the notion that
the Regular Army officers were scheming 10
crush such organizations as his would seem TO
be born Of imaginative fears. But II they did
desire other helpers than guardsmen for the
war and that desire was due to fOreknowledge
of the attitude of Colonel Watson and some OF
his fcllow-officers in this and other states, II
would be impossible to say that they were not
justified in their demand for larger standing
army. We do not mean that the guardsmen
are entirely wrong in looking critically az the
question Of volunteering The more reasonable
their objection to anything involved in their
enlistment separation from their comrades
fear that others may take their armores the
more apparent is it that they are not the
proper men TO fight foreign wars. That fact
need not be diScreditabe TO them. Every man
has his place. They may be brave men per
fectly trained for local requirements without,
owing to the conditions Of their life and the
laws under which they are organized being
fitted for service calling for qualities when
they have not. and eXactng discipline to which
they are unaccustOmed.
The Government at Washington must have
men absolutely and unquestioningly subject to
its orders. 1t wants men without conditions,
not because ii would Cypress them. but be
cause il must be free TO use them as occasion
requires. 1t has such men in regulars, II has
them TO a certain extent in volunteers; II would
not have them at all in guardsinen as guards
men lending to the Nation an independent
organization. How true that Is may be seen
in the trouble over the War Department regu-
latons reported from many places East an:
West The military experts are agreed t.iat
bodies must be Of a certain size and formation
TO be effective In modern warfare. Most Guard
organizations must be remodcllcd TO meet That
requirement. and some officers have 10 be dis
pensed with Immediately there Is protest.
Company after company says 1t Will serve
f You cannot wage war with an army or
ifs Twenty thousand excuses and twenty
l Thousand good reasons for The IFS cannot alter
the fact The man who makes them may be
most worthy of respect but he is not soldier
ready for the work in hand. The thing to do Is
to give him work in his proper sphere. The
guardsman does not discrcdt himself when he
says that he is not prepared for Regular Army
duty He discredlts himself only when he OPP
poses the formation Of an adequate Regular
Army. saying he wants n chance TO fight him
self. and then refuses 10 do for the Govern
ment what the regular would have done.