Arizona republican., 1902-03-09


 other purposes is at TO IMPROVE tracting general atten- THE ton, chiefly because of MILITIA. the activity of officers
 of the national guard everywhere in it's favor. It is d bill which should become q law. The lack of interest on the part Of enlisted men is a source of common complaint. Com panies are formed, equipment is ob- tained and for a time there is q lively gives way to an apathy which calls constantly for the efforts of officers to maintain the proper military spirit in the ranks. In Arizona it is no uncom- mon thing for not more than half q dozen members of q company to turn out for drill. and the charge is made that men frequently enlist merely to evade jury duty. That this charge is unjust is plain. Enlistments occur be- cause of a natural liking for military service, and the subsequent lack Of in terest is because the enlisted men find that they are operating under code of federal laws which is grotesque in absurdity. The companies are armed with the out-of-date Springfields. and the men in the ranks. find that they are far from being on a plane with the regulars. The New York Tribune, in discussing the subject, says:
 The consequence is that in this day of smokeless powder and improved arms the law demands compulsory en- rollmnet of every ablebodied citizen, and says that he shall be constantly provided with d good musket or fire lock, of d bore sufficient for balls the eighteenth part of q pound, sufficient bayonet and belt, two spare t1ints and q knapsack, pouch with box there in to contain not less than twenty-four cartridges. or q good rifle, knapsa K, shot pouch and powder horn, twenty balls and a quarter pound of powder. and that each commissioned officer shall be armed with q sword or hanger and spontoon."
 President Roosevelt said last year: Our militia law is obsolete and worth less. The organization and armament of the national guard of the several states should be made identical with those provided for the regular forces. The obligations and duties of the guard in time of war should be carefully defined. It is utterly ! impossible in the excitement and haste of impending war to do this satisfac- l torily if the arrangements have not i been made long beforehand.
 Secretary Root also expressed him. ! self in favor of reformatory legislation l The matter was made the feature of this years meeting of the Interstate National Guard association, and the i bill introduced in the house of repre- | sentatives by General Dick, and in the senate by General Hawley. was the result.
 The bill provides for arming the na- ! tional guard with the same modern rifles as are used in the regular army 1 Under it's operation national guard om- cers will have regular army instruc- tion and examination. and organization | in all parts of the country will have 1 opportunities for field maneuvers at the cost of the United States.
 The passage of the bill will give the organized militia greater importance than it has hitherto enjoyed, because il will become a national reserve, subject to the call of the president to repel in vasion, suppress rebellion or to enable him to execute the laws. It aims tC | made the guardsman soldier. and i will receive the support of all those members of the national guard who ar, l ambitious in that direction.