The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-12-01
BELIEVES ABOLITION OF cANTEEN HAS RESULTED IN EVIL
REPUBLIC SPECIAL.

REPUBLIC SPECIAL
Washington, Nov. 30-The annual report
of Secretary of War Root has been made
public. In the course of his statement he
touches upon matters OF more than orii-
nary public interest.
Concerning the army's future, he says:
restoration Of the normal conditions 81
peace. and the, return OF the greater part OF the
BILE to resume with increased activity the 'wors
OF preparing for future wars.
imurn of Go.0o, has. Of c5utse. made necesaary a
great increase in barracks. quarters. hospitals and
army post. Tn acc0mmraat.6ns which rad beer
provided before the war with Spain are now quite
The work Of construction has been pressed Wig,
orvusiy by the QuartGrmaster's department to the
TIL: policy follower has been rather to increase
the size Of thu posts in which THE army is TO ne
quartered than TO increase the number.
mr 1n'i is. so n far d as tI prsc, l.siSssd to y get tni the ee almy
posts out Of the cities ana large rcwrs and es-
towns. SO that the, men may have the benefit If
fr training and exercise: the neighborhooi OF
the barracks may be under military control: the
away from the men: and at the same time the
advantages of convenient Inspection. transpor1a-
cational and social privileges, may be retained.
II MILITIA SYSTEM.
Early in the last session a bill was prepared
q the National Guard q the sevssai states 5y
guard TO the militia and volunteer systems. and
prepars.iSn, N in ind! advance as for the 4s,s 01 p g zai a,S Of
mitted 70 the chairman Of the Committee on NIL
i.ary Affairs Of the s e The chairman a,Tn1pp Of the
vention OF officers of the National Guard. orsani-
~. Tho convention appOiQteI Il special commit
tee TO consider and report upon the proposed bill.
vorab!y to the convention. which. after thorough
discussion. adopted q resolution approving the
me senate By Nj. .Haxiey. and in the House by
House Committee on Militia considered II with
dit,ons returned i TO the House 4 Nth a unap Il;
lee on Military ATairs Of the Senate u. X
1855. Fifty-seventh Congress. first session.;
law. 1t is really absurd that a nation which
, Hron ansrd 6as a Smai citizen tSsaias so aiRy a fSr I is dss
Tense should run along as We have done 1or D.
satisfactorily in the beginning and which was
perfectly obsolete before m man nan, now nj f we
iai".I rrac aHai "T 10 militia system. notSitas.and,
ing the fact that the Constitution makes II the
sanizing. armins and difciplin,ns the militia"
and for calling forth the militia to execute the
brT ,, Of as .hs nigh The s SsPionsl GUARD orsanirai,ons
Of the several States have grown up, in default OF
mcnts. Their relations to The Federal Govern,
ment have never been defined ed or ss Sentea arising
from this uncertain status were painfully apiar,,
s E, n at the sis Sssin NJ. gb OF same ans % un,i Tt con GEES shall
exercise its constitutional power over the sunJscI,
Repeated efforts have baen made TO accomplish
The fundamsntal idea Of the bill Is to reeosniae
t,nr. sat Gsa - which is capable Of being utilized.
first. as active militia wnen called ous by the
i rIss Gsns,, tut n second. as an already organized
volunteer force when its organizations respoma as
purposes under authority of Congress: and third:
as the great school of the volunteer soldier; in NJ
When the members Of the guard respond indiyid-
ualIv TO calls for volunteer ,s The sa Sil1 sh Iela,ions
Of the National Guard and is members s, TO ar 1ne
sms51 a ays'f f,1s:, ,a nshd of The .n guard to thai, Of the
regular and volunteer armies OF the United states:
ton between the National Guard and the regular ,ss
army: to promote the efficiency and dignity o. the
l Tn aid in accomplishing these objects. and in
ment that come from the guard aiioss,ner one rue
furnish TO the guard the same arms Whicn a,, IL tnrr
paI,icip 10 tn by she r arn'i with ii he TssaIar army
In maneuvers and field exercises lot nr'eI ps III
m EMS. the national Guard oyEanizations which
Choose voluntarily to go beyond the Limitations or
and further provisions for the enrolment az M
second volunteer reserve not ekreeding &C.,;
+; IN n. Na,ionn! Guard or in .he regular army or
the volunteer armies Of the Gni,sT states ssr;r1nnts
nftsr the National Guard volunteers under any
can by Congress- 1t also 10 p ndranss IF a a cali FOR
voiunteers. the fitness OF members o, the S a snfl
Guard , gTad n u c q Ina m Win ynIii.arr traininE.
to hold volunteer commissions. thus r"ns.,,u'Y fnS
an eligible list ,hs fr 9Hcs ws'c Of In the case second COZ reserve s.' v
must be taken and the officers c[ the Ssh sys
t"Gv n Of y T2la1'f for by ~A the e" biil carried into effect
We shouil be able. while main'aining a s.3h Ing
s arr ny, 'I we Il men into the field instantly
upon a declaration q war. and the T.st o w u ,e ~
iocrts Of rernIa- t-oors.. -o,,,
The military. force Of the United States would
FirstoThe regular army. capahle Of enlarge
ment by the President. when he sees war COM
in secord"such of the organized militia talready
uahin vhen used in the manner hereinafter in.
dicateh. as any other t,oopsl as ,nsf r os ths
Tnited states for not exceeding nine months. to
such companies, troops and regiments of the or,
xanized militia already trained as a nau1naI
guard as volunteer organizations Win all their
Fourth-A second volTntser ,essrvs com spi
military training in The National Guard ar eth the
regular army or the volunteer army. anu Colu-
manded ny Officers whose fitness has been pre-
vicuslv ascertained by practical tests under the
proyis;ons Of the militia net.
Eiffh-Sr,ch further volunteers as it may be nee
essary to call forth from the states. accprdtns
rsrimen.ai oTicers appointed by the Governors
conservative estimate of the number vhic,
would be included in the first four classes OF
troops, who have already had military service
and will he available for immediate action. IS
The number Of the fifth class-volInteers VINO
NJ, have had nrayiOrc Serylre-naS
no limit, except the possibilities OF Transports
The capacity of the National Guard orraniza-
items in general to serve effectively as oIs9hiza-
tioral army in case of war depends very LargeIy
upon the aid which they receive from 'he "a,
tional Government The guard Is nov sr, mn
with a variety Of weapons Of different KINDS ana ,hs
obsolete Springfield rife. inc Lee. me ffIna,nS>
the Winchester and the krae~J.rsen,
sen. In several instances dlIsrent Na.inIia,
Guard organizations Of the same State are armsd
with different weapons of different ~calibers:
Among ali the lls.o0 National Gaardsmen OF
the different states and Territories only about
states army. with the exception, Of these 4We
rife. the arms Of the guard would be practlcaiIy
worthless in time OF war. not merely because
they are inferior. but because the guard would
for their ammunition. and the Government VIII
have no ammunition for the KIND OF rfhes me
"a rry. they would have to look To the Govern
ment to replace the arms lost or hrnEbh " n sIn-
ply the same kind. The militia an6 tre YOUR,
feer National Guard ORGANIZATIONS IN genera
would. therefore. re obliged to throw away thei,
present arms at the beginning OF a war ana
st equipped with weapons the use Of which they
ma" HnrEseM MILITIA AND COAST SsE