The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-04-18
MILITIA MANEUVERS
ORGANIZATIONS OF DIFFERENT
 STATES INVITED.
General Corbin, Commanding the De. pertinent of the East, Writes
 Letter to the Governors of States in His Command.


 The long looked for Invitation from the War Department for the Alabama National Guard to participate in man euvers in conjunction with the regu- lar troops has been received.
 The manuevers to which the Alabama troops have been invited under the Dick bill will be held near Manassas, Va, In September. The date is too late for the Alabama troops and they may not go. The invitation was contained in the following letter which has been sent by General Corbin, commanding the Division of the Atlantic, to all oficials in command of militia orgaI. nations within his command; l.
 sir: am authorized by the Secre- tary of War to extend to you an ihvi- tation for participation by the organ ized militia now under your command in Joint field exercises of regular troops and the organized militia within this division, to be held near Manassas, va.S next September. Owing to the limited appropriation for this purpose, 1t Is impossible to invite all the mili- tia 4of your command. On the basis of relative strength of the militia of the various States, Territories, etc, the quota of your command is -, and it is earnestly hoped that this num- her can be furnished. Should you de- sire to have a larger number partici- pate you are requested to inform me Of the number in excess you can fur. nish, so that if there should be fail- ure. on the part of the States to fur nish full quota, more than the number herein invited from your command could be taken. The allotment to be made from the appropriation now pending will meet the expenses of not exceeding 180,000 organized militia under pay for not exceeding fifteen days. The period covered, then, by the joint instruction including the time spent by the organizations of militia fin travelling to and from their camps, will not exceed fifteen days.
 'Tt is possible that some organiza- tions by limitation of law, or for other reasons, cannot be on duty for more than seven days, including days of travel. In such cases, by proper ad- Justnnent of dates, some of these or ganizations may, on the expiration of their camp tour, be relieved by others; the joint tours of both, including days of travel, not exceeding fifteen days.
 Sections Is and 21 of the act ap- proved on January 21, 1903, being an act to promote the eniciency of the militia, are as follows:
 Section 15--That the Secretary of War is hereby authorized to provide for participation by any part of the organized militia of any State or Ter ritory on the request of the Governor thereof in the encampment, maneu- vers and field instruction of any part of the regular army at or near any military post or camp or lake or sea- coast defenses of the United States In such, case the organized militia so par ticipating shall receive the same pay, subsistence and transportation as are provided by law for the officers and men of the regular army. to be paid out of the appropriation for the pay, subsistence and transportation of the army: Provided, that the command of such military post or camp and of the officers and troops of the United States there stationed shall remain with the regular commander of the~post, with out regard to the rank of the com manding or other officers of the militia temporarily so encamped within its limits or in its vicinity.
 Section 21-That the troops of the militia encamped at any military post or camp of the United States may be furnished such amounts of ammunition for instruction in firing and target practice as may be prescribed by the Secretary of War. and such instruc- ton in firing shall be carried on un- der the direction of an officer selected for that purpose by the proper mili- tary commander.
 Pending legislation modifes Section IS by providing a special appropriation to meet the expense of the militia,' Instead, of their pay. subsistence and transportation" being paid from tho appropriation for the pay, etc, of the army. I understand that the pay, sub sistence and forage for horses actually used by those entitled to be mounted and transportation will be the same as those of the regular army for the en- tire period Of service, including days of travel
 Tt is proposed to have the militia arrive on September or, where their tour of service. including travel. will not exceed seven days, on either Sep tember or 12.
 "An early reply IS requested, then, to the following questions:
 ls) What portion of the quota of