New-York tribune., 1903-01-23
THE NEW MILITIA.

By placing his signature to the Militia bill
President Roosevelt has brought to success
f,II close a task which had engaged the ma
tional legislators for many years. OF the nun
dreds of bills framed with view to improving
the militia system many passed one or the other
of the houses of Congress, but none Of them
were satisfactory to both bodies. Despite the hon
est attention which they received at the hands
of men who knew that there was urgent need
for reform in the composition. management
and edIipment of the citizen soldiery1 of the
country. the measures were all on close eX-
animation found to he defective and made
quate.
The men who framed the bill which became a
law on January q pro6ted. not only by the mis-
takes of their predecessors, but by the lesson
which the war with Spain taught, and they &C
complished work which President Washing
ton deemed worthy of attention and of which
he said in 1894:
The devising and establishing of a well regu-
lated militia would be a genuine source OF legls-
lative honor and perfect title to public graft
tude. I therefore entertain hope that the pres
ent session will not pass without carrying to ITS
full energy the power of organizing arnlnS anG
disciplining the militia, and thus providing, IN
the language of the constitution, for calling them
forth TO execute the laws of the Union, suppress
instructions and repel invasions.
BY the provisions of the bill which was in
troduced in the House of Representatives by
General Charles Dick, of Ohio, and in the Sen
ate by Senator Joseph r. Hawley, the organ
lied militia. with its 115.000 men, which had
no standing in the military establishment of
the country. now becomes part of the armed
forces of the nation In time of war the Presi-
dent NAV call upon the National Guard, for a
term not exceeding nine months, for service
within the boundaries of the country and
when volunteers are needed for service outside
of the country the members of the organized
State forces will have the first opportunity TO
enlist The bill provides also for the rearming
and the re-eduipment of the National Guard
on the lines laid down for the regular service.
This part of the bill appealed strongly to those
men who saw our army in Cuba and III the
Southern camps at the time of the war with
Spain. Six different kinds OF rifles requiring
six kinds OF ammunition, were used at that
time and every part of the country had Its
own idea as TO the proper size of the Organiza-
tions. The tactical organization, as well as the
equipment of the National Guard. will from now
on be like that OF the United States Army, and
the new law specifies that within five years
these changes must all be completed. To ac-
complish this purpose S2,O0o.000 has been ap-
propriated of which this State will receive
about S270,0o0.
Joint camps of instruction, in which National
Guardsmen and regulars" will take part in
manpuvres and practice marches, are also pro
vided for in the bill. These encampments will
give the citizen soldier chance to see how his
comrade of the army lives in camp and they
VIII also promote good fellowship between the
two branches of the service. Attendance at
these encampments Oh the part of National
Guardsmen will be at the request of the Gov
ernor and not by order of the army authorities.
While the President of the United States is the
commander in chief of all the military forces OF