The Minneapolis journal., 1902-07-16
ARMY AND NAVY MANEUVERS

The war board at Washington has de-
Yised a most interesting series OF man
euvers for army and navy during August
and September, the leading feature being
an elaborate attack by the navy upon
New York with all available modern naval
appliances and the defense of the city by
the forts and the land forces. The North
Atlantic squadron and most Of the coast
artillery Of the army will be mobi1ized
for the purpose and there Will ybe seen
some Of the most id ficuIt operations+sin
the wayZof moving and Concentrating
troops and handling warships for offensive
and defensive purposes. Wireless te1eg-
raphy will be utilized on the occasion.
The army will not be advised of the
time Of the attack and will hold itself in
readiness for attack at any time.
"A feature Of the maneuvers is that the
governor of each state has been invited
to send a portion of his states national
guard that it may take part in the evolu-
tions with the regular troops, which will
be carried on during ten days. The occa-
sion will certainly be a most interesting
one and for the national guard a most
Instructive one, as it will give them per-
sonal experience in maneuvers which take
place on the actual field of battle, with all
the accessories Of modern warfare. -
Our government has not heretofore un-
dertaken joint participation Of militia and
regular forces In maneuvers of this kind,
nor has 1t. undertaken maneuvers on such
large scale by army and navy. It is
worth, however, to our regular troops and
militia all the trouble and expense en-
tailed by 1t. Our state practice camps
have been of great service to the ma
tional guard and it is proposed that,
hereafter, there shall be held annually on
three great parade grounds in the central
west, in the east and in the south, Joint
maneuvers of state troops and regulars.
There will, no doubt, be an outcry
against these maneuvers by some people,
who behold in President Roosevelt a
deadly Caesar, thinly disguised in citi-
zen's clothes. Watterson,4 who swears he
sees the man on horseback "peeping out of
the stable door of the White House." will,
no doubt, sound his jangling tocsin and
declare that the last days Of the republic
have finally arrived and no mistake about
it. Bryan will join Watterson and shrek
s'To your tents, % Israel" and feel for, his
ttrusty pen to write a grotesquely turgid
leader for the Commoner against--Grover
Cleveland. -
Nevertheless the country generally and
the national guardsmen especially, who
did their best to- put through the militia
bill during the last session of congress.
will take pleasure in the stimulus which
will be given to militia organization and
practice and continue with great zest to
promote the proper organization Of our
whole militia force. " s.-s,< s...l !.
The: bill which failed in congress was
admirably adapted to strengthen our mill
tia arm, and provision was made in it
for the payment of state troops by the
government, when taking part in any
event like the coming maneuvers. The
constitution provides that congress shall
provide for organizing, arming and dis
ciplining the militia: This duty congress
has not half fulfilled. 1t is time that its
whole duty in this respect were properly
performed.