West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1906-02-15
THE NATIONAL GUARD.
The State Troops Will Now Bunk
With the Regulars.
CONGRESS is CONTEMPLATING AN
Appropriation ofa Million Dollars to
Provide for Organized Militia
Being schooled in Camps
Of Regular Brigader.
From the Fa,rmont Times.

Congress will probably appropri.
ate from $1,000, 900 to Or, 200, 900
tor encampmen,s and maneuvers of
the National Guard. A new plan
Tor the education of the organized
militia will probably be carried out
hy which the guard regiments and
organization will be sent to regular
army brigade camps established in
seven or eight different parts of the
country.
There will be no army maneuyers
on great scale such as the maneu-
vers at Manassas IN 1904, for in the
opinion of army officers, the ex-
pense is too great for the value re-
ceived.
Chairman Hull, OF the House
military affairs committee, thinks
Congress will make provision for
the Regular Army camps and will
set apart about million dollars for
the expenses of the guard organiza.
tions that go into camp with the
Regulars. He regards with much
favor the plan of having these bri-
gade camps than the one of huge
maneuvers.
General Oliver, Assistant Secre.
tary of War, In recent explanation
OF the new system to the House
military committee, said. "It con-
templates putting the whole or most
OF the Regular Army in summer for
three months. In the old days, in
the period of Indian wars the troops
had plenty of opportunity to fit
themselves tor field work, but now
the bulk of them live in garrisons
and do not have much chance for
development. President Roosevelt
has been urging some method OF
meeting the present conditions, and
it's through him that so much at
tention is to be given to the practice
march hereafter in the summer the
Regular troops will be ordered into
brigade camps and will be required
TO march to these camps from sur
rounding posts. Guard regiments
VIII be sent TO such brigade camps
from the neigbboring States and
each guard organization viii Ie.-
main with the Regulars ten days,
taking part in drills and maneuvers.
The government under the Dick
law, will pay the transportation of
the guard troops, will provide their
substance and will give the guards
men while in camp the pay of Regu.
lar troops.
There will be one camp in the
northeast, one the southeast, one in
the central States, one IN the north
west, one in the southwest, one on
the Pacific coast, and possibly a
large one at Fort Riley.
General Oliver considers, and so
told the House committee, that the
value of these camps will be very
great. In the first place, the practice
marches will do the regulars good.
The training and experience afforded
the medical corps, the quarter
masters department, aud the COM
missary department will be valuable.
is expected the medical officers
will learn much regarding camp
sanitation and hygiene.
Valuable training in tle maneuyer-
ing of troops will be given the gen.
cral officers. The chief Of staff will
prescribe the course of instruction
and officers Of the general staff will
be sent out, just as they were sent
to Manchuria, to report, observe
and critioise, so that defects may be
corrected.
General Oliver told the House
committee there was not transporta-
ton enough to equip a division.
He thought the coming encamp-
ments would reveal this weakness
and result in numerous improve
ments.
In addition to the Inauguration of
the brigade camp system, move
ment is well under way to establish
brigade posts in various parts of the
country. President Roosevelt fayors
this. 1t would result in the con-
centra,ion Of the troops to a consid.
cradle extent. Numerous small
frontier posts would be wiped out
as well as some Of the posts in the
north east, especially in New York
State.