The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-11-05
MILITARY MATTERS;
 GUARD OF ALABAMA
By D. w. McIVER.

will cheerfully admit that). as a fight ing organization. It has no superior on the face of the globe. As rule. the credit to the nation. while the enlisted | men are as fine a lot of American young men as one could find anywhere.
 are not up to the general standard, while every company has some men that the company commander would like to get rid of. but the general aver Militia are amateur soldiers. rang 1 ing from very good in some States to
 very. poor in others. Much depends officers. Many of the officers are not
 imagine the state of discipline that this kind. On the other hand, ther are a great many militia officers of real l ability, who are well versed in the ru-
 ailments of the profession. and with q
 little actual experience. would make | excellent company officers and perhaps | good field officers. Of course. a year or two of active campaigning would develop men like Miles and Funston.
 one fault of the militia is ten | dency to imagine that the mere wear l ing of uniform immediately metamor- phoses a civilian into a real soldier. nothing to leayn from their comrades | in the regulars, earning them the name l of tin soldiers Newly appointed of-
 ncers and recruits .n the regulars are l tween militia and regulars. on account l of their patronizing manners. but the | old officers and men are generally Will ing to assist the militia in every way possible if they are approached prop
 Militia officers particularly captains
 of companies. rarely receive propssr | sacrifice. They are obliged to buy their | own uniform and equipments. costing
 from $150 upwards. spend a great deal
 of time that they % should dsvode d, to dnw- sne,:
 into their pockets on all occasions; but | getting no salary and mighty htt!s
 The Pointed Bullet.
 The Ordnance Department of t.s
 Army has for the past year. as ms
 menting with pointed bullet for the the
 of this bullet. ordnance officers. say, are a greatly increased muzzle velocity | and a much greater carrying power. Tests made at the Springfield armoIy l indicate that the accuracy of this bul | let Is quite as good at 500 and l,ooo yards as that of the earlier n}odel or l ders have been issued by the Chief or Ordnance to proceed with the manurat prepare for the conversion Of the rine l for the us" of this ammunition Slight | changes only are necessary III tHe riiiS' which will be incorporated immediately | in the rifles in process of manufacture. and gradually in those already assem- bied and those partially assembled. Due | to the length of time which must na- 1 turally elapse in the change from ono | form of ammunition to another. and to | the changes in the rife itself. 1t is more than probable that it will be i'm possible to supply the new ammunition l for the next target season and that the l target practice will be held with the mod"I of 1903 rife and the model 1905 ammunition The new ammunition will be officially designated as Model of 1906 Announition. Calihre .30."
 Chief of Cavalry.
 The recommendation of the Direc tor General of the Army that the of: i flee of Chief of Cavalry be created lcorresponding in principle with tn 2 offices of Chief of Artillery and Chief of Ordnance, is supported on various grounds, one being that 1t would prob ably help to settle the dim 'ulty now
 encountered in obtaining horses suit- l able for military service at reasonable prices It is held In some quarters that the contract system. of purchas- | ing public animals should be aboltsh- : ed and a remount service established. Attention is called to the fact that there has been steady increase Tn