The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-01-28
Then Repeated With Emphasis
l29 Years Later.
OF VOLUNTEER AND REGULAR
Views of hington-SeVeral Elk
ressionS-ReasonS Clearly Gil
Ven-Cri,ics of Today
tArmyand Navy Journal

/ Regular troops alone are equal 10
! TIE eXigsncies of modern war, as We'll
/ for defence as for offence: and when
ever a substitute is attempted it must
prove illusOry and ruinOus. No militia
Will ever acquire the habits necessary
to resist a Regular force. The
| frmness requisite for the real business
OF fighting is only 10 be obtained by
a constant course of discipline and ser
vice. | have never yet been witness
to a single instance that can justify a
unHerent opinion" - Washington 10
Congress. 10 September, 1880.
The experience Of the war with
Spain has also taught us the necessity
of a larger standing Army, because it
is impossible for militiamen to become
trained soldiers at a moments notice.
For the prompt response of the Volun-
teers to the Presidents call for troops;
for their patience while in camp and
their courage on the field of battle: and
for the readiness which they absorbed
the atmosphere of military life. | have
nothing but the highest praise. At the
same time. the experiences through
which the War Department passed dur
ing the days when the Volunteers were
being mustered in have convinced me
that in the future the National Guard
must be conducted on a different basis
if it is TO become adequate as a fight
ing force. "-Brigadier General II. G.
Corbin, Adjutant General, L. S. Army
in the Forum for January.
This calling out of the Guard TO do
the work which should have been done
by the Regulars, and by special Volun-
teer organizations. caused great hard
ship. and has resulted in much temper
airy disOrganiZatiOn in the Guard itself.
men ought normally 10 perform differs
entirely from that expected from Reg
ulars The Volunteers, the
National Guardsmen. not only of New
York. but of all the United States. have
won by their ready response to the
country's call the right 10 full justice.
to full recognition of their services,
by national and State governments
alike Many of the troops who vOlun-
teered gladly for the emergency, now
that the war is over. are most anxious
to return. That they are not all Of
them able to return is due TO the
utterly inadequate size of our Regular
Army If our Regular Army is as II
should be, increased TO one hundred
thousand men, the hard necessity Of
retaining in the service the Volunteer
Organizations which ought not to be re-
tanned, will disappear. Hon. Theo-
dore Roosevelt, Governor of New York,
in his Annual Message, January ,, 1899.
Here are three high authorities, sen
arated by an interval Of 119 years,
which covers the whole period Of our
national history. all speaking from OK
perience, and all reaching the same
conclusion as TO the proper method OF
providing for the public defence If
it were necessary We could add TO rhiS
testimony that Of every great soldier
we have had since the beginning of
our history. each bearing testimony re-
sulting from experiences acquired n
our wars, including that of 1912. the
war with Mexico, and the Civil War.
There is absolutely no difference OF
opinion among them. Geo. Knox, who
is quoted in favor of a dependence up
on a national militia, was simply argu-
ing in favor OF universal military edu-
cation. and on the continent OF Eu-
rome his theories have of late years
been carried TO their legitimate con
cIusion. That they are not applicable
to this country all experience shows.
Over and over again Washington
urged upon the attention of needless
sultng from their unwillingness 10 fur
nish him with men he could have suffi-
GENTLY under his control. and for
sufficient length of time. to transform
them into reliable soldiers. In letter
to the President OF Congress, from the
Heights of Harlem" oath September.
1876, Washington said:
To place any dependence upon mill
tia is assWedly resting upon broken
staff. Men just dragged from the tend
er scenes Of domestic life. unaccustom-
ed to the din OF arms, totally unac-
quainred with every kind of military
skill. makes them timid Cwhen brought
into contact with trained sOldiers) ana
ready 10 fly from their own shadows.
Besides the sudden change in their
manner OF living particularly in lodg
ings). brings on sickness in many, i'm
patience in all. and such an uncon
querabIe desire of returning 70 their
respective homes. that ii not only pro-
dues shameful and scandalous deser