The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-12-03
Kansas Soldiers Are Short of
OYercOats.
Only $50 Garments for 1000
Guardsmen.
is DUE TO RED TAPE:
Government Waiting for Short
age TO Be Fixed Up.
Meanwhile the Warriors Must
Do Without Coats.

There is a shortage of overcoats for
the Kansas National Guard, and no
way of getting more. With only $50
overcoats on hand, what would the
state do to protect its 1000 guardsmen
from the cold this winter, in case it
should be necessary to call them into
service? And what will the members
of the guard do in cold weather when
they are obliged to get out at least
twice a month to drill, as the law
requires?
The government inspection of the
condition of the National Guard re-
vealed the fact that only one company
in the state was provided with over
coats. It seems that in years past, the
officers of the quartermaster' depart
ment have ordered guns, ammunition
swords, Khaki suits and blue blouses,
but no overcOatS. Just why this was
not done is not known, for last year
the state might have drawn about
$4,000 worth of overcoats from the
government, and used state money to
pay for the encampment of the guard.
Instead, the government money was
used to pay for the encampment, and
the. state money was allowed to die
and revert to the treasury.
And meantime, the books Of the de-
partment were getting into such bad
shape, and reports We're being SO neg
lected that shortly after General J. w.
f. Hughes took Office, the government
shut. down entirely on issuing any
more supplies to Kansas. Since that
time the officers of the guard have
been trying to account for the $1,000
shortage in equipment which had dis
appeared from the record of the Office.
There was nothing crooked about it;
the government simply wanted to
know what had become of the supplies
it had been sending out here, and the
state has been trying to find out. Re-
ports explaining the whole thing have
been sent to washington, and part OF
them have been approved. But until
the reports are all accepted, and the
slate officially cleaned, the state Of
Kansas is barred from getting any
more military supplies from the gov
eminent.
Meantime there are no overcoats for
the Kansas soldier boys. They must
SILVER and wait for the red tape to be
unwound.
Though the state owns 450 over
coats there are no overcoats what
ever in actual service. except those
worn by the members of battery B at
Topeka. The battery 3 soldiers have
coats simply because they happen to
live close to the arn1ory, and could
turn in their overcoats on short notice
if necessary. All of the $50 0vercoats
which the state has are held in the
armory at the state house to be used
in case of emergency.
In case there should be a riot at
some point in the state, and a com
-panp Of the guard was found to be
necessary the men would be started to
the point Of trouble from the nearest
company headquarters, and a bunch
of overcoatss shipped out from Topeka
to meet them In this way four Of,
Eve companies could be provided
with overcoats. 1t is the only way in
which the present Insufficient supply
of ovaBcoats can be handled to any
advantage.
General Hughes says in speaking Of
the case.
when we get this old shortage
Strengthened up. and are allowed to
draw more supplies from the govern