Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-17
NOTES OF THE LOCAL
NATIONAL GUARDSMEN

blow. The law went into effect January
II 1903.
The first joint maneuvers with the army
were held at West Point, KY. In Septem--
Der. 1908. There were 2,Io0 regulars and
$500 national guardsmen there. III is SAID
an officer of the army came up TO Colonel
Britton there and said, in understanding
sort of way: Having had so much TO do
with the passage of the law. colonel IL
must please you to be able to attend our
maneuvers." Our maneuyersg said the
colonel haughtily, II don't quite under
stand you. Considering there are three
times as many state troops here as regu-
lars. We might better call them our maneu-
vers. Seven states participated In those
maneuvers. They were the first large re-
suit of the new law in bringing the army
and the militia together.
The Results Obtained.
BY figures prepared by Colonel Britton,
finished yesterday. 1t is shown that the
New York guard increased 800 men up to
October 1. 1904 The increase in the United
States has been about 10000. The annual
federal appropriation is 100000. DIS
tributed by congressional representation.
and the share of New York in this is only
s77. O0O.
The results of the figuring which I have
been doing for several days" says Colonel
Britton. show conclusively that the fears
of those who said that the bringing of the
guard and the army together would harm
the former were groundless. On the con
trary. the army has been of benefit to the
guard. and we may say humbly that in
some respects have not been entirely
without usefulness to the army. At least.
we have made It possible to hold maueu-
vers on an impressive scale. which have
been fraught with important lessons. The
thing that impresses me most about the
result of these figures is that the increase
should be so large at the beginning OF the
reforms projected by the law when there
is necessarily much friction and a lack OF
that smoothness which is certain to come
when once the system has begun TO work
evenly.
AT the beginning OF any radical system
there is always more or less criticism and
doubling of the wisdom of the changes in
yolved. which in turn breed discomfort, re-
sultng in the apathy and Indifference OF
those who formerly might have been
among the heartiest and most enthusiastic
supporters of the old regime When the
proper appropriations are provided for,
commensurate with the needs or the
militia the scope of the law and the In
tentions of those who were instrumental In
securing it's passage, we shall see mat
there is much more in the measure than is
apparent on the surface. a few years more
of the operation of the law will show It's
beneficial effects No one who has watched
the progress OF the Brooklyn regiments
since the passage of the law Will doubt
that the measure has added to the eff
ficiency of the troops of the Brigade
in more ways than one. Considering, too,
that the organizations are going through
a sort of novitiate in their new relations
with the army. / think the satisfactory re-
suits should be q source of congratulatlon
all around"
Notes.
Orders have been issued from brigade
Headquarters to Capt. Sayer, commanding
officer of Company G., I'd Regiment, direct
ing him to parade his company at the
range for target practice next Wednesday
afternoon.
Major Slbley. I'd Cavalry, L. S. A. On
old friend of Adjt. Gen. Brett, was a
caller at brigade headquarters and deiv-
cred messages of good will from the friends
of the District guardsmen in the I'd Cav
airy. The I'd is now stationed in the Phil
ippines, where the regiment has been In the
field against the ladrOnes for several
months past
Drills will be resumed in all companies
October l. Active preparations are IN
progress to make this the banner season OF
the brigade's history.