The Savannah morning news., 1903-12-20
CUTIN STATEFORCES.
MAY BE RECOMMENDED TO Gov
ERNOR BY ADVISORY BOARD
TO DISBAND NEGRO TROOPS.
A RESOLUTION MAY BE BROUGHT
BEFORE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION.

Meeting of Executive Committee,
Officers Association, to BE Held in
savannah, Dec. 81 Resolution
VIII Recommend That Forces Be
Reduced to Regiments of Infan-
try, of 13 Companies Each; One
Battalion of Heavy Artillery, of
Four Companies; One Battery of
Field Artillery; One Squadron OF
Cavalry, of Four Companies, and
Two Divisions of Naval Reserves.
The meeting of the Executive Com
mittee of the Officers Association,
Georgia State Troops. which will be
held in Savannah, in the Hussars'
Armory, Dec. 81. will be one of great
interest, not only in this city. but to
the whole state for certain questions
are to be brought up that will affect
most radically the state force as a
whole.
When it is known that the members
Of the Executive Committee are in al
most every case members of the Ad-
visory Board. and that whatever reso-
lutions are passed by this meeting are
likely to go before the Governor as
recommendations from that body, some
idea of the Importance of the coming
meeting can be gathered.
Every member of the Officers As
ISOLATION, some two hundred and fifty
Of the active and retired officers of the
state troops. has been invited to be
present, and each will be allowed to
discuss the measures to come before
the meeting, though only members of
the Executive Committee will be al
lowed to vote. The personnel of the
Executive Committee is Col. w. E.
| Wooten of Albany, president; Col. r.
U. Thomasson of Madison, Col. P. w.
Meldrim of Savannah, Col. E. D. HUI
guenin of Macon, Col. c. L. Anderson
of Atlanta. Lieut.. Col. A. ]. Scott of
Atlanta, assistant adjutant general;
Maj. w. w. Williamson of Savannah
and Lieut.. Col. w. L. Grayson of Sa-
vannah, secretary and treasurer.
Want Fewer Commands.
Two important measures will come
before the committee. The details of
one may be gathered from the follow
ing resolution, which will be introduce
| SOAASAN%SA
ing:
Whereas, the military forces of
| Georgia as at present constituted are
composed of an excessive number of
organizations, be it
Resolved, that the military forces
Of the state of Georgia be reduced to
| the following organizations:
Three regiments of infantry, of
| twelve companies each.
One battalion of heavy artillery,
of four companies.
One battery of field artillery.
One squadron of cavalry, of four COM
panies.
Two divisions of naval reserves.
BE it further resolved, That the re-
duction of the present establishment
be brought about as follows: When
a company, troop, battery, or division
of naval militia is disbanded for in
efficiency, or mustered out of service
for any other cause, that the vacancy
thus created shall not be filled until
after the members of the companies,
troops batteries or division of naval
militia shall be reduced to the total
indicated"
What this resolution if put into eff
feet by the proper authorities, will
mean to the state militia may be real
lied when it is known that at pres
ent there are five regiments of infan-
|
divisions of the naval reserves. The
artillery branch of the service will be
but little affected. Whether the res
olution will be adopted or not remains
to be seen, but there is a strong senti-
ment in it's favor in some quarters.
To Disband Negro Troops.
1t is limited that another measure of
possibly as great interest as the first
will be introduced. and that it's object
will be the recommendation that all the
colored troops of the state be disband-
ed. Though nothing definite is yet TO
be secured about this resolution, it is
known that such a provision has been
seriously considered, and it is believed
that it will meet with such favor as
almost to insure its passage.
viii Choose Eleven Delegates.
One of the matters to come before
the Executive Committee is that of Sc
lecting eleven delegates Georgia's quo
ia, to the annual meeting of the In
terState National Guards Association,
which will meet in St. Augustine Ian.
25. This organization, which is de-
voted entirely to the interests of the
state troops. is a most representative
one. 1t is the organization chiefly re-
sponsible for the military act known
generally as the Dick bill.
The members of the Officers Asso-
citation will hold two sessions on the
day of meeting, as it is believed that
a good deal of time will be needed to
consider all the matters to come up. In
the evening an entertainment of some
sort will be prepared in their honor,
though the nature of it has not yet
been decided on. A committee to ar
range it will be appointed early this
week.
Among the minor matters to come
before the meeting will be a resolution
asking the president to appoint an Off
Ger of the association to act as corre-
spondent for some military journal, and
that the duty of the appointee shall
be to forward to such a journal COM
munications on military subjects from
the officers of the Georgia State Troops,
so that an interchange of ideas on mat
tiers of interest to the military of the
state may be effected through the coll
umns of the journal. and so that the
journal may receive these communica-
tions from an authentic source.
Many HOuseI<eepers Drink