The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-02-04
The Organization, Equipment and
Furtherance of Our National Guard

any state or territory the secretary of
war is authorized to replace the ordin-
ance and ordinance stores which the
carried into the service of the United
States army during the recent war
with Spain, and have been retained by
the United States
After while new model was
adopted by the government for the
arming of the regulars, and the militia
were again put at disadvantage, and
in 1908 congress placed them once
more on an equality SO far as arma-
ment went by replacing the arms is
sued at the close of the war with
Spain, with rifles of the new model.
The act providing as follows:
The secretary of war is hereby
authorized to issue, on the requisition
Of the governors OF the several states
and territories. or of the commanding
general of the militia of the District
OF Columbia, such number of United
States standard service magazine
arms !: as are required for the
army of the United States, for arming
of the organized militia in said states
rx>1
bia.''
Similar authority was given the
department by the act of 1904 con-
tanned in the army appropriation bill.
1t provided that:
For the purpose OF furnishing the
necessary articles requisite to fully
arm, equip and supply each regiment,
battalion, squadron. company, troop
battery, signal. engineer, and hospital
corps and medical department of the
organized militia of the several states
and territories, and District of Col
umbia, with the same armament as
are now prescribed for corresponding
branches of the line or staff in the
regular army, s. s. the secretary
of war is hereby authorized, s. to
issue the said armament and esuip-
ment to the organized militia
Now that another change has been
made in the arms of the regulars, once
more the old inequality exists as the
militia have the Krag the regulars the
New Springfield, model 1908. 1t is
held by the war department that it
has no power to issue the new arms
to the militia without congressional ac-
ton. The department recognizes the
Importance Of exchanging the old
Krags of the National Guard for the
new Springfelds and is very anxious
to do so.
| A law of congress provides for an
! annual National Rifle Match where
teams of the regular army, navy,
marine corps and the National Guard
compete with each other, and it does
appear that action should promptly
be taken to put all branches of the SER
vice on an equality as regards arms.
With the National Guard using the
old Krags it can be readily seen it
can not compete on an equality with
the regulars who use the new Spring
,, fields. The second war with Great
Britain, that with Mexico and that
with Spain caught the government
without a we'll organized militia, and
the consequences were the govern
ment was put at great disadvantage
in each instance. The young men of
of the country are now displaying
most commemorate spirit in entering
heartily and earnestly into the work
of the National Guard, and nearly all
of the state governments are making
liberal appropriations for the better
organization of the Guard, and it de-
serves to be placed in all respects as
to arms and equipments on an equali-
ty with the regular force.