Evening journal., 1902-07-26
THE NATIONAL GuARp

In the short speech which President
Roosevelt delivered TO the New Jersey
National Guardsmen at Sea Girt, on
Thursday he paid a deserving tribute
TO that body OF men scattered through
oiA the States Of the Union, and Of
fered some pertinent suggestions.
President Roosevelt is not an orator
in the usual sense OF that term, but he
is something better. Like Abraham
Line0ln. he has way Of going to the
heart of matters and of saying the
thing that needs to be said in terse,
forceful English. He makes It clear
that the American idea always has
been and Is, that for defense our chief
lsodier. While not Understanding the
services Of the regular army, there is a
tacit agreement that it shall be com
paratively small, and be regarded as
immense body OF citizen-soldlers which
is always to be counted on as a re-
serve force. The militia is no Longer
10 be regarded as composed OF inde-
pendent, loosely organized bodies. It
Is responsible both to the States and
90 the National Government. Under or
binary circumstances its services are
al the command of the respective
States, but It may instantly be called
into the service Of the Federal Gov
ernment.
The President declares that his wish
in TO see the National Guard still bet
ter equipped. and further aided by the
National Government. for he recog-
nizes that in cases OF emergency the
volunteer soldier must still be our
chief reliance. History proves the the
ory Never was there a more efficient
body Of men than those composing our
standing army, but in numbers It is so
limited that it must have adequate
support. During the revolution our sole
dependence was in the volunteer and
the minute men. recruited from the
farms and the shops baifled the trained
soldiers Of England.
In our great civil war two OF the
greatest armies OF modern times were
organized. Their greatness consisted
in all that makes the soldier-courage,
endurance. intelligence and skill, and
yet the great mass Of these soldiers
were fresh from civil life.
In our late war with Spain, and in
the Philippine campaign, the militia
fought side by side with the regular
army, and when their equipment was
all that was necessary, their accom-
plishment was no less. Many Of the
volunteer regiments were composed al
together of men OF great intelligence.
There were in the ranks doctors, law
yers. engineers and college professors.
Almost every man in the regiments
was able TO meet any emergency that
might arise, and all were good sol
dien because they were earnest men,
and brought to the profession OF arms
the same qualities that they had
shown in civil life The President
well says: THE same qualities that
make a man success, that make him
do his duty decently and honestly in a
National Guard regiment, are funda-
mentally the qualities that he needs to
make him a good citizen in private
life"
The people of Delaware would do
well to ponder the Presidents words.
Cur National Guard is left largely to
shift for itself. There has been a
tendency to be niggardly in appropria-
tiong. and to haggle over expenditure
It should be a matter of pride with us;
and II properly organized would be
ready to serve the States needs, or tC
= form part OF the national defense
In these modern times there is a sci
b ence OF warfare; there must be a IA
p miliarity with the weapons used. Thil
= can be gained only through practice
1 Our VOLUNTEERS should so into camp an
= nually and the State should make
b proper appropriation therefor. The,
q should be supplied with the lates
u arms and taught how to use them. An
a some ambitious legislator might wi
deserved honor by preparing a broad
Comprehensive militia bill for preser
II lfotfor 10 tbe navf General Assanhlv