The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-29
GIVING THEIR ORDERS
OFFICERS OF NATIONAL GUARD
START TO COMMAND THE
ADJUTANT
THEN MAKE IT A REQUEST
Association Wants the Militia to BE
Armed With the Same Equip =
ment as the Regular
Army.

Regular army discipline may govern
the Minnesota national guard in its af-
fairs of strictly military nature, but
when it's officers get together rs ma
tional guard association to confer and
recommend for the general good of the
service they apparently feel perfectly
free to criticise, without any fear OF a
reprimand such as was administered re-
Gently to a prominent officer Of the regu
lar service.
At the session of the ASSOCIATION held
yesterday afternoon in the senate cham
Der at the capitol a resolution was pro-
posed and heartily seconded by the
adoption of which the organization would
in effect have instructed the adjItant
general of the state upon receipt of req1i-
sitions from commanding officers Of COM
panies of the guard for ammunition to
forthwith furnish such ammunition.
The embarrassment which might fol-
low the adoption of the resolution in its
original form was obviated by an adj
monition from the president, Maj. See
bach, who pronounced it to be in bad
taste and in excess of the powers or
privileges of the association. The reso-
luton was then so amended as to re-
spectfully request" the adjutant general,
instead of instructing him.
A motion on the part of Gen W. B.
Bend, providing that members be per-
mitted to attend the conventions of the
association in civilian dress, instead of
being REQUIRED to appear in uniform, was
passed without apparent opposition. Then
after Gen. Bend had left the room, one
of the members suggesting that the mo-
ton was not meant seriously, moved a
reconsideration of the vote by which it
was passed. and in due course of parlia
mentary procedure the motion was killed
Resolutions Adopted.
The association convened in the morn.
ing at the office of the governor. and
after brief session took a recess until
2:30. In the afternoon Maj George c.
Lambert, chairman of the commit tee on
legislation. submitted report embrace
ing four principal recommendations, each
separat ely presented in the form of a
resolution. These resolutions were sepa-
rately acted upon and all adopted. They
were, in effect:
First-That the Minnesota representa-
tives in congress be requested to favor
Senator Spooner's bill allowing all hon
orably discharged soldiers of the Spanish
war pay for service during such time as
they may have been on enforced fur
Tough.
Second-That the association favors
arming the national guard with the same
equipment as the regular army, and
will strive to bring about that end.
Third-That the association favor the
appointment of a commission, under con-
gressional authority, to compile the nee
essary information and report to con-
gress a uniform militia law.
Fourth-That the association favors the
enactment of law in this state author
izing and enabling cities and villages
where national guard companies are sta
toned to erect armories and to issue
bonds for that purpose.
Discussion of the question of proicien-
cy in Small-arms practice occupied con-
siderable portion of the afternoon. Capt
o. E. Lee, of saltwater, inspector of
smaIl-arms practice, was called upon fer
his views, and said that in his opinion
what the guard needed most was drill
in the use of the rifle. Too much atten-
ton, he thought, was given to the march
ing tactics, and not enough to the use
of the firearm. 1t was probably highly
desirable that a company should be able
to march and maneuver well. That would
get the men to the firing line in good
order in time of action; but of what pos
sible use could they be after they got
there If they could not shoot. Men who
knew how to shoot were the useful ones
in time of action, and not the dress
parade soldiers. The captains, he said,
were responsible for the lack of pro-
ficiency of their men in the use of the
rifle. The rife practice provided at camp
was not sufficient, and ranges should be
secured at the home stations of the COM
panies. When range practice could not
be had the men should at least be train
ed at the armories in handling and sight
ing their rifles. They should know how
to hold a gun SO it would not kick them
over when they ..red it. 1t was suggested
that ammunition could not be secured for
company practice, and it was at this
juncture that Capt. Shafer, of Owatonna,
introduced the resolution above referred
TO- on the subject Of ammunition.
Small-Arms Practice.
After some further discussion of this
subject, a resolution by Col. Van Duzee
was adopted providing that the adjutant
general be respectfully requested to con-
vene board, consisting OF a representa-