Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-04-02
ENDORSES MEASURE.
Captain caughIan Favors Provision of
the Dick Arn,y Bill.

Captain c. E. Caughlan of Company
g., Iowa National guard, is
heartily in favor Of the Dick Army bill
which is at present being discussed
in National Guard circles, making IS
the minimum number of men allowed
in individual companies. The present
minimum number is As. According to
Captain Caughlan, Ottumwa, Des
Moines, Burlington, Sioux City and
Iowa City, in fact all the larger points
at which companies are located, want
the larger company The reasons
which make the larger company more
preferable are many, where the body
of men is larger, there is invariably
greater interest taken in the company
and the drilling, the attendance is bet
ter, the spirit of company pride is in
creased and there is greater rivalry
for excellence between the different
companies
The company being larger there are
CORRESPONDENCE greater number Of
people in the community who take
pride and interest in the company well
fare. The larger company gives great
er practice not only to the men in line
but also to the officers and especially
to the lieutenants who are being train
ed to take up the active work of the
captain. Platoon movements which
give the lieutenants and SER
geants their greatest amount
OF drilling are hardly practicable and
oil little value in tactical way with a
small number of men. The drawbacks
and disadvantages of the small number
OF men Is felt, especially during the
summer camping period, when the var
lous Companies meet as regiment and
are drilled in the larger formations,
under conditions as nearly as possible
like regular army movements No
commanding officer likes to take a
small company into camp. 1t is here
that both men and officers can get the
best and most valuable experience of
the year, and the best advantage can
not be taken Of this with small num-
Der OF men. With a larger number of
men, the state appropriation for main
tenance would have to be increased
Larger and better armories would nee
essarily have to be furnished and more
and better equipment could be proyid-
ed at cost but little in advance of
the present. Under the new regula-
tons Iowa would have total of only
1920 men, which is indeed small
number compared with some of the
states who have 100000. The cost to
the state of the national guard, even
If it should be increased by so per
cent as some have estimated would
still not be exhorbitant.
The argument that some of the
smaller towns which have companies
can easily keep up the smaller organ
lzatlon but would have to drop out if
the number should be increased as pro-
posed. is met by the proposition to di-
vide the companies as is done in the
present artillery service, allowing de-
tachments OF company to be located
IN two or more different towns.
Adjutant General Byers was one of
the committee which prepared the
Dick bill and was consulted in regard
to many OF its provisions. He recon-
mended that the minimum be fixed at
| fifty men, and now believes that this
| would get better results than 65 men
TO the company. He will go to Wash
| lngton soon to discuss the matter with
| the officials and explain his views.
This is practically the only point in
the program outlined by the war de-
partment upon which there is any diff
ference of opinion and when this is set
| tied the Iowa National guard will con-
form to all the provisions as early as
| convenient.