The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-11-12
ON THE DICK BILL
ACTING ADJUTANT GENERAL OF
THE ARMY REPORTS.
REFERS TO THE OBJECTIONS
BUT EXPECTS THAT THEY WILL
BE REMOVED.

Says That All Save Those Who Are
Opposed to Agencies for the Pres
erVation of Law and Order VIII
BE Satisfied with the Militia Act.
other Matters Touched Upon in
the Report of the OHIcer-strenEth
of the Army.
Washington, Nov. 1.-THE annual
report of Acting Adjutant General Hall
of the army was made public to-day.
1t deals with every phase of the mill
tary esta blishment.
The actual strength of the army on
Oct. 15 1903, was 1851 officers and 55,-
500 enlisted men.
Over one-haIf of the report is de-
voted to the militia, and it gives a de-
tailed account of the workings of the
act to promote the efficiency of the
militia, passed at the last session of
Congress. Regarding the dependable
strength of the militia in the time of
national peril, the adjutant general
states that although the obligations Of
officers and men of the militia to re-
spond promptly to a sudden call of the
President has been on the statute
books more than a hundred years, and
of the organized militia or national
guard for nearly forty, and the neglect
to so respond is punishable by such
penalties as court-martial may di-
rect, experience has shown that this
obligation is a theory, rather than a
fact. Without going farther back than
the late war with Spain, the proportion
of the membership of militia organ
iZatiOns who have actually responded
to such calls of the President has
borne a very small proportion to those
actually borne on the company rolls.
About the Militia Law.
The adiutant general comments at
length on the opposition developed in
some quarters to the militia law, which
he says is less on the whole than was
anticipated. He says 1t is true that
| certain radical leaders of the labor
| unions regard militia as a menace to
| their purposes, although it is doubtful,
| he adds, if this enmity extends to any
| considerable portion of their member
| ship.
Continuing, the adjutant general
| states that there is an inexplicable OPP
| position on the part of employers tC
| permitting their employees, who are
| members of the national guard, tC
| leave their work to participate II
drills, encampments, and target prac-
| tice, as we'll as in responding to calls
for service from the state or the sup
| preston of disturbances.
| Business and professional men con-
nected with the organized militia OF
some of the states" the adjutant gen
| eral adds, feel that they cannot af-
| ford to waste their time in riots or la
| Dor troubles, while they would be per-
| fectly willing to respond in case OF
war. e..e
Scores Those Directing.
I'm some cities of Virginia, Georgia
and Louisiana, the newspapers have
prejudiced the minds of the militia
men by their distorted views. The
fear is expressed in some Southern
communities that under the President s
orders white national guardsmen might
be compelled to serve under a colored
commander, and still others believe
that they are state troops, and should
not be ordered for duty outside the
state.
"All these examples, however are to
be regarded as sporadic, rather than
| contagious, and, as the intent of the
law becomes better understood. with
perhaps some further legislation, it Is
believed that all opposition will be con-
fined to such irreconcilable elements
as are not to be satisfied with anything
less than the abolition of all AGENCIES
that make for the preservation of law
and order"