The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-03-11
The Minimum Fixed.


 General Orders No. 3, issued by the War Department has caused much dis cussion and much difference of opinion exists as to its real meaning. The Pres fdent in that order fixes the minimum of infantry or cavalry organizations at 58; coast artillery at 63 and field ar tillery at 133. The difference of opin- ion Is upon the question as to whether or not the order relates to times of peace, and must go into effect at the end of the five years fixed for re-or- ganization under the Dick law
 The National Guard Magazine, pub lished by Captain Edward T. Miller, Columbus, Ohio, in it's Washington de- partment, says that this difference is due to misconstruction of Section 459, which says mo organization will be accepted into the service of the United States whenever 1t is below the mini mum prescribed by the President or above the maximum strength fixed by law" In some quarters it has been thought that this necessitated the i'm mediate recruiting of full companies to minimum strength. which minimum Is set out in Section 45S as 58 enlisted men for company of infantry, a troop of cavalry of company of engineers; 63 for a company of coast artillery and 1S3 for battery of field artillery.
 The misconstruction undoubtedly arose from the fact that the officers overlooked the clause will be accepted into the service of the United States The regulations do not fix the mimi mum strength of a company in time of peace, and therefore the clause above quoted did not relate to the militia at the present time. There Is, therefore, no necessity to recruit the companies up to minimum, although 1t is a good idea to keep the ranks well filed"
 This Is the opinion of The National Guard Magazine, and in reference to the report of the Militia Committed to the House, in which the view was taken that the minimum number was fixed for time of peace.
 The Magazine says that Apparently the House Committee on Militia has also fallen into the error in regard to the meaning of the paragraph in General Orders No. 3. referring to the minimum enlisted strength, for, in the report made by Chairman Merrell or the bill to reorEanize the militia ot the District of Columbia, this para graph is referred to as though 1t is applicable to the militia at all times The bill recognizing the District mi. lttia is principally designed to brine 1t in line with the militia throughout the country. The Dick bill gave the militia five years to reorganize.
 Chairman Merrell points out thar the bill provides for four companie. | of coast artillery and one troop O. cavalry, and says that Forts Wash ington, Hunt and Monroe afford al necessary facilities for instructing ant training coast artillery companies 1 General Orders No. 3, War Department current series, established the mini mum number of enlisted men for eacl organization in time of peace. Tn l bill now before the House establishe the maximum of war strength of sucl ! bodies. In this MT Merrell, as I hav i said, is mistaken, for, as pointed out | General Orders No 3 provided a min imum strength only when the militi Is to be mustered into the tnite States service
 "The report comments the provisio l for a reserve corps made up of officer and men who have qualified for wa which, 1t says, will supply the def ciency existing in a regiment at tn | outbreak of war and does away wit the necessity of filling the companic | with recruits"
 It appeared very plain to me tha the action of the President applied i times of peace and that the construc tion of the House Committe was tn correct one. Now that this discussio has arisen, the matter will soon Ii settled by the War Departmen through the opinion of the Judge Ad vocate General
 Tn the meantime, 1t would be wis for all the organizations to take in useful class of recruits and bring tn membership up to far above the mir imum fixed by the State laws. Man of the organizations are not showing and win not show at inspection. tn full minimum fixed by the State la and if they do not immediately recru to above that figure. they will have be declared inefficient and mustere out of the service.
 How many companies are there th' h>S9 not forty NSembers on their rolls