Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-27
THE NATIONAL GUARD
Organization to Parade Memorial Day
as Escort to g. A. R.
FORMATION AND LINE OF MARCH
All Arrangements Completed for
Encampment Next Month
FUTURE OF THE MILITIA

FUTURE OF THE MILITIA
The matter of chief interest just at pres
ent to local National Guardsmen is the pa
rade scheduled for next Tuesday In connec-
ton with the ceremony attending the
Memorial day celebration. In view of the
fact that the duty to be performed will be
very light and also that the day is a ma
tf0lai holiday the expectation rs that the
showing of the brigade will be, numerically
and otherwise record breaker. There Is
another reason, and 1t is strong one, why
every guardsman who can possibly do so
should be in line. Quite a number Of men
who were formerly affiliated with the guard
gave up their lives in connection with the
war with Spain, and it Is in honor of their
memory principally that Gen. Harries has
ordered that the brigade parade Tuesday.
The guard will act as escort to the Grand
Army of the Republic.
For the Information of all concerned 1T
may be again stated that the brigade line
will be formed on the south side of Penn
sylvania avenue. facing north, the right of
the line resting near It'll street, in front of
the Center Market armory. "Adjutants
CALI will be sounded promptly at $40
O'Clock, with first CALI ten minutes earlier.
zen. ttarrleS and MS STAN OF course VIII
head the column. In their rear will follow
the band and corps of field music combined.
For the first time in the history of the bri-
gade. the I'd Regiment will be in the lead of
the LIST Regiment. In the rear of the latter
will be the LIST Separate Battalion. Then
will march the Naval Battalion, the Signal
Corps and the Ambulance Corps, in the or
der named The guardsmen will parade in
the prescribed regulation field uniform, con-
ssting of blouse, campaign hats and leg
gins. The Naval Battalion will be attired
in its sailor garb. All members of the gen
eral staff and all regimental field and staff
officers will be mounted, and will wear the
prescribed field mounted uniform excepting
that officers of the general staff will wear
the forage cap instead of the campaign
hat.
Line of March.
The line of march will be along Pennsyl-
to Pennsylvania avenue, along Pennsyl-
vania avenue to Jackson place to H street,
turning east ON H street proceeding to
18th street, down 18th street to G street,
east along G street to 18th street, down
11th street to Pennsylvania avenue, west
along Pennsylvania avenue to a point near
the corner of 10Th street. When the head
OF the column has reached the point in
question the line will be formed to the left
and the Grand Army column passes
along the front of the National Guard line
the guard is to salute simultaneously.
No further duty will he required of the
guard as a brigade. Regimental, separate
organization and company commanders will
be vested with discretionary authority to
direct or terminate the movements of their
respective organizations as they see fit.
Arrangements for Camp Complete
Practically every detail that can possibly
be thought of at this time in connection
with the encampment of the brigade near
Leesburg, Va, week after next has
trpi cd si,l arr Hon r 10 OF tod NV
in authority that all arrangements for the
outing have been completed, and, if neces-
sary, the brigade could take the field day
after tomorrow. After the termination of
the parade Tuesday next. General Harries.
accompanied by several members of his
staff, will visit the site of the encampment
and conclude all plans at that end of the
line.
The original intention was that the guard
should depart for camp the morning of
Saturday, June 10. and break camp the
afternoon of the Saturday following. The
date of going into camp was changed to
the 9Th proximo, and the return to the 18TH
proXimo for the reason that certain busl-
ness men complained that they could not
conveniently spare their employees who are
members of the guard on two successive
Saturdays. Under the present plan the
guard will be out of town for one Satur-
day only,
Did the National Guard Fail.
In a consideration of the question. Did
the National Guard Fail?' In the war with
SPAIN in the Journal Of the Military Ser
vice Institution, Capt. Harry +. Davis of
the National Guard of Pennsylvania comes
to the conclusion that it is not the National
Guard that has failed, but it is the system
which relieves the general government of
ali responsibility as to its condition, That
has failed 1t does not seem to him that it
could have been the idea of the trainers OF
the Constitution that the general govern
ment was to have supervision over the
militia only in time of war. The Constltu-
ton literally translated might give this I'M
preston but men of the military expert
ence of George Washington would hardly
have conceived the idea of numerous indie
pendent armies congregated together with
out any head.
The state may retain certain powers and
prerogatives according to Captain Davis,
but there must be one head and one system
"a system that will include every state in
the Union; but unless the general govern
ment is given full power to use these troops
in time OF emergency, and unless the adJu-
tant general Office at Washington contains
inspection reports made by regular army
officers. and is fully informed as to the
condition of every regiment, as to its Off
GERS, men, condition and equipment, the
guard will never be what 1t should be-a
national reserve.
with our superb regular army raised to
40 900 men,, says the writer, "our National
Guard increased to 225 900, and given ma
tiona! recognition, we would have first
and second line, behind which the people.
who Will always constitute the great re-
serve, could form their lines in time of ma
tional emergency
Confederation of Important Problem
There Is certain element urging an i'm
provement in the National Guard on the
ground that the militia system is the only
one that can keep reserve of trained SOL
diers behind the regular army of the
United States. 1t Is argued that the SUBJ
ject is one which may be properly dis
cussed during the next few months in an
ticipation of what Congress must do to-
ward reorganiZing the National Guard of
this country. There is no system which
requires readjustment more urgently than
the militia of the United States, so 1t is
commended. and il must be placed on a foot
ing to make it serviceable to this country
in time of war. 1t is further set forth that
II the conflict with Spain deulnnStrated