The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-05
Retired Officers and the Militia

There is much that is commendable
IN the system Of assigning retired army
ofiicers TO ppSts of advice and instruction
in connection with the National Guard
and the militia OF the different States.
Our volunteer army service has been
afflicted by unnumbered evils through
incompetent training and leadership.
This is demonstrated by any impartial
ANALYSIS OF the work OF the troops in
Cuba, Porto Rico and the Philippines.
So far a. the personnel of the rank and
file is concerned the difference between
Regulars and Volunteers is insignificant
All Americans who don the uniform are
good soldier material But their eff
cheney will be determined primarily by
the efficiency of their immediate officers.
valuable lesson lies in the experience
of those troops who were sent 10 the
Philippines in 1899 and who came 10 be
known as Volunteer Regulars They
were men whose field officers, and in
some cases a part Of their line officers,
were men Of military training and ex-
perieuce, professional soldiers familiar
with their business. They knew what
soldiers should be and what soldiers
should do, and il did not take them many
weeks TO convert their raw material into
a fighting force which was only less
effective than the Regulars The con-
trast between the regiments of this
class and those OF the usual type of State
troops was striking. The value of n
well organized and disciplined second
line in our military system is undeniable.
The value of experienced army men in
training and educating that second line
is undoniable. The Importance Of this
particular service is not so much in the
mere routine drilling of the men in the
ranks as in the work Of qualifying their
officers for the positions which they fill.
For that many of our retired officers are
preeminently fitted and their services are
Of inestimable value
But the system has been somewhat
abused The trouble is that the proper
end has not always, and perhaps not
often. been kept in view The assign
ment of a retired Regular officer to duty
with National Guard or State militia
should have some other reason than that
Of financial benefit to the officer by
means of personal or political favorit-
ism. II should be made for the good
Of the service and not for the good of the
individual Some attention should be
paid Ia the rank of the appontee in it's
relation TO the number Of guardsmen or
miltiamen in the State TO which he il
assigned Thus. a Major General might
be ass igned to such States as New York
and Pennsylvania; acknowledgements
TO such States as Massachusetts,. Ohio
and Illinois; Colonies 10 States wherein
the militia force approXimates n
regmental COMMAND: and Lieutenant
Colonels and Majors TO States with bat
talon or company commands A Major
General might have two or even three
field officers on his staff, and a Brigadier-
General might have one or two from
either the field or the line
To all these, full pay with regular al
lowances for quarters and travel might
be allotted, with no additional pay or
allowance from the States in which they
serve II should also be understood
and provided that the service be active.
constructive, and not merely ornamental;
and fitness and not politics should de-
termine the assignment II should be-
tho business Of the appointees TO create
an efficient second line. II Massachu-
sets wants Gen. MILES, and Gen. MILES