The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-09
The New Militia Law.

The August number of the North Amer
ican Review gives some attention to the
new national law relating to the militia.
There are two articles, one by Lieut.
Col. JAMES PARKER, Acting Assistant
Adjutant-General Of the army, and the
other by Congressman EsCH, who served
seven years in the National Guard. Both
articles are worth reading and will help
to a better understanding Of what Con-
gress has done to bring the State Militia
into close relation with the National Gov
eminent Lieut.. Col. PARKER brings
out very clearly the salient points of the
new law, and their excellence is such that
the lay readers mind is filed with aston
ishment that the old act of 1903 should
have been allowed to exist for over a
century.
The main purpose of the new law is to
bring the National Guard Of the country
to a close resemblance in formation and
drill to the Regular army and to give
the President power to employ this prop
erly prepared force for the national de-
fence when the occasion shall arise. In
other words, instead Of having to wait till
Volunteer regiments can be organized,
mustered in and drilled, the President
will have the power to order the National
Guard into service for a period not longer
than nine months. Meanwhile Volunteer
regiments can be formed and got ready
for service, and the law provides plan
for furnishing them with officers who
have graduated from either the army or
the National Guard.
A fine field for the service of retired
army officers is provided by this law,
which requires the National Govern
ment 10 detail officers as observers of
the work of the militia, while every
incentive will be offered to ambitious
young men to enter the National Guard
in the hope of rising TO the dignity of
Volunteer commands The law makes
it possible for any man who has served
in the army, the Volunteers or the Guard,
or has been instructed at military
school by an army officer, TO pass an ex-
animation before an army board and to
be listed as qualified for an officer of
Volunteers. This feature Of the law sug-
gests the employment of similar plan
for the organization Of the much-dis-
cllssed national naval reserve.
The new law further provides for the
arming Of the National Guard with the
same type of rifle as the army Uses and
for the supply of ammunition for it. 1t
also lays down methods of cooperation
between the Regular army and the Guard
and provides for the payment of the lat
ter when present at combined camps Of
instruction. The operation of the law
will have to be worked ont in detail by
the General staff of the army and will be
one Of the new body's most important
problems.
Fortunately, az Lieut. Col PARKER's
article shows, there are no serious OBJ
stacles in the way Of successfully meet
ing all the questions which will arise
in the arrangement of the details. The
Militia law of 1903 may well be regarded
as one OF the most important pieces of
recent national legislation. II will rem
der impossible a repetition Of the hui
initiating and dangerous conditions which
confronted us at the outbreak of the
war with Spain.
Every man who joins the National
Guard under this law will do so with his
eyes open. He will hold himself subject
to the call Of the National Government
in time of need and he will see the neces-
sity of satisfying the medical examiners
that he is fit for such service. He will
be drilled according to the methods of the
Regular army, and he will get five days
field service every year His uniform
will not be as pretty as it used to be,
but he will know heap more. He will
play soldier much less and be far nearer
to the real thing. 1t is good law.