Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-11
THE DISTRICT LEADS
Percentage ofMilitia to Male
Population.
REPoRT55s.oFt COL. HALL
MASS OF 1HFzRHsr1ra 1NFonmA-
TON Regarding THE ARMY.
Recomm endations of the Acting Adju-
tant General-Workings Of the
New Militia Law.

new M1QC1a Law.
A mass of interesting information regard
ing the army of the United States is con-
| tanned in the annual report Of Col. VIM P.
Hall, acting adjutant general of the army
Over one-half of the report is devoted to
the militia, and gives detailed account of
the workings of the act to promote the eff
cheney of the militia, passed at the last
session of Congress. Inspections of the sew
eral militia organizations, the report states,
were begun on April %, 1903. and completed
about the LIST of July. The total number
of the organized militia, including officers of
every rank and grade, was aScertained to be
1862
District of Columbia Leads.
Distributed comparatively the strength of
the organized militia is reported to be in
inverse ratio to the density of population.
With a total male population between the
ages of eighteen and forty-five of 16,173,04G.
and an organized militia of 1862, the per-
centage is 0OO72 or seven and two-tenths
men to every one thousand; so that such
populous states as Pennsylvania, Ohio, 1lli-
nois. Indiana, Iowa and Missouri are be-
low the average; New York, New Jersey
and Maryland scarcely above the average,
and Connecticut alone among the densely
populated states has many as twelve
men to the thousand. while the states hav-
ing the greatest percentage of organized
militia to the male population within the
militia age are the District of Columbia,
South Carolina, South Dakota New Hamp-
SHIRE Nevada, Oregon. ETC., in that order.
Dependence on Militia.
Regarding the dependable strength of the
militia in time of national peril, the adju-
tant general says:
although the obligation of officers and
men of the militia to respond promptly to a
sudden call of the President has been on
the statute books more than a hundred
years and of the organized militia Ma
tional Guard for nearly forty, and the neg
lect to so respond punishable by such PEN
alties as a court-martial may direct, expe-
rience 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 mill
tia organizations who have actually re-
sponded to such calls of the President has
borne a very small proportion to those ac-
tual1y borne on the company rolls
Eliminating the men unfit for military
service. and those unable to go to the front
for logical reasons; the report states that
only about thirty of the original company is
a fair estimate of the number of men In
each company that are finally received into
the service Of the United States
Opposition to the Militia.
Colonel Hall comments upon the opposi-
ton developed in some quarters to the mi
litia law, which he says is less than was
anticipated.
That certain radical leaders of the labor
unions, says 2the acting adjutant general
regard the militia as a menace to their
purposes Is true; that this enmity extends
to any considerable portion Of their men,
bership Is doubtful In Mobile and other
cities in Alabama the labor organizations
has ndo9 n a RI
decline to serve in the militia. In Chicago,
some sections Of Ohio, Indiana, Virginia
and West Virginia the local labor unions
have endeavored to withdraw from the Ma
tional Guard such of their members as are
connected with 1t; in some instances this
has been successful. but IN a majority of
cases their efforts have been futile. In
Schenectady N. Y, there was slight dis
turbance in February last, growing out of
an attempt to expel member Of the paint
ers union because of his refusal to resign
from the National Guard. which for time
threat tened to disturb the industries of the
community; but this resulted in legislation
tending to protect union men who belonged
to the National Guard
Where Unions Are Friendly.
ION the other hand, in Connecticut,
where the entire state is bee hive Of fac
tories the inspection discloses the fact that
more than S. per cent of the National Guard
of the state are union labor men, 1t is re-
ported that 1.-THE labor unions in eastern
Pennsylvania make the life of the national
guardsmen as unpleasant possible and
obstruct the recruiting of the companies,
while in western Pennsylvania. where the
membership of the National Guard is al
most exclusively composed of laboring men,
the great majority of whom are enthusiastic
members Of the labor unions, the prompt
| ness with which they invariably respond to
| a call for service from the state authorities,
| even to the suppression of labor disturb
| ances, is quite remarkable.
Opposition Of Employers.
| I'm some communities there Is an inexpli-
| cable opposition on the part Of employers
| to permitting their employees who are men,
| hers Of the National Guard to leave their
| work to participate in drills encampments
| and target practice, well in respond
| ing to calls for service from the state for
| the suppression of disturbances. Business
and professional men connected with the
OF gal ized militia of some of the states feel
! that they cannot afford to waste their time
| in riots or labor troubles, while they would
| be perfectly willing to respond in case OF
| war In some cities of Virginia, Georgia
| and Louisiana the newspapers have pre-
| JUDGED the minds of the militiamen by
| their distorted views. The fear is expressed
| in some southern communities that under
| the Presidents orders white national
| uardsmen might be compelled to serve
| ,ndor colored commander and still others