The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-03-22
Report of Great Interest to Members
of Citizen Soldiers Organiza-
lions I'm All States.
MORE CUBAN TREATY DEFECTS
FURTHER WEAK POINTS FOUND IN
THE RATIFIED DOCUMENT.
Some Senators of Opinion 1t Will
Never BE Approved by the Lower
Branch OF Congress.

WASHINGTON, March H.-Realizing
that every city, town and hamlet in the
United States has vital interest in the work.
ings Of the new militia law, to which he
has given much study, Secretary Root to-
day ordered to be made public the report
which the War College board at his request
has prepared explaining and commenting
upon the various provisions of the law,
their proper Interpretation and the best
means for putting them into operation.
The secretary has not approved the boards
report, but he declares that 1t shall be CIV
en- wide circulation so that the officers of
the militia of the various States may have
the opportunity of discussing with the
department the advisability of its adoption.
Maj. Gen. s. B. NJ. Young. as president of
the board, submits the report.
Under the law the organized militia are
given until January. 1904. to adopt the or
ganization, armament and discipline of the
regular and volunteer armies" and within
that time the organized militia is expected
to conform as rapidly as practicable TO
the standard. 1t is provided, however, that
on that date the standard must be real
lied and thereafter becomes a requirement.
Although five years are allowed the militia
to attain to the prescribed standard, Gen.
law does not contemplate that that period
shall elapse before a State, Territory or
the District of Columbia shall take the rea-
sonable steps toward the attainment Of the
standard. 1.-THE law makes no provision"
he says, "for the coercion of any State or
territory which may refuse TO conform, but
In case of declaration to that effect the
secretary of war may ignore it in the al
lotment OF the annual appropriation"
That absolute uniformity with the regular
army as a standard may be obtained the
President should
Immediately the minimum enlisted strength
or the various organizations of the militia
the regular army. It, therefore, recon-
mendS the following minimum organiza-
tons: Infantry. sixty-f1ve; cavalry, sixty
hve; field artillery, 40; coast artillery, 40;
engineers, 100.
Regarding the physical condition of off,
GERS and enlisted men of the organized
militia on presentation for muster into the
service or the United States, the board rec
ommends that the secretary of war ''pre-
scribe for recruits I'm the organized militia
at the time of their enlistment the physi-
cal recruiting standard as for the regular
army, except as to the age limit, or suit
able and uniform modification thereof"
1t further recommends that the oath of
enlistment into the organized militia and
the length of the term of service should
be left to the several States.
The board believes that the term stand
relating to the Issue of material to the mill
tia, which technically would be limited to
rifles and carbines, should be construed to in
clude "revolvers, standard field artillery,
Calling and other adopted machine or auto
matte guns"
In the operation OF the section requiring
inspections to be made by officers detailed
for that purpose by the secretary of war, it
is the opinion Of the board that these in
spections must be made by officers of the
regular army, and therefore the claim of a
State that the inspection covering this year
has been already made and cannot be al
tered unless the inspection was made by a
regular army officer especially detailed for
the purpose under the law"
Under the participation of militia troops
in encampments with the troops of the reg
ular army, the board declares that the
militia commander shall be subordinate to
the regular commander.
'In view of the demands of the regular
service" says General Young, in conclu-
sion, "the board recommends that no officer
be detailed to any State or Territory hav-
ing an organized military force of less
than 1000"