The San Francisco call., 1907-01-28
GUARD WILL WATCH
LEGISLATION
Executive Committee of the
Officers to Consider Many
Proposed Amendments
MORE RESERVATIONS

The executive committee of the re-
Gently formed association OF officers Of
the National Guard of California will
meet In Sacramento February 5 to con-
slider a great number of proposed
amendments to existing laws affecting
the guard Lieutenant Colonel Nc
Creagh has succeeded Colonel Kelly as
member of the committee.
There Is--hut little change in the
status of the First Infantry in this
city. Those officers who remain. by
reason of the fact that their resigna-
tions are still held UP, will again call
on Brigadier General Roster to obtain
further information from him as to
the future of the regiment. During the
past week the designations of William
B, Corcoran, captain, and Diedrich A
Hagens, first lieutenant of Company c.
and Of Vernon r. Branch, second lieu
tenant of Company F, were forwarded
to Sacramento and promptly accepted.
Second Lieutenant Difanny has been
placed in charge of Company c.
The proposition to form a new troop
of cavalry was further discussed last
week. The conclusion was reached. in
view of the announcement that Adju-
tant Lauck and General Roster will
not countenance such an organization
unless 1T be properly equipped, that
each man interested-in the troop shall
deposit $5 monthly into a general fund
until a sum sufficient to purchase
twenty-lv horses shall have been ac
cumulated. then apply for permission
to organize and ask the State to make
sufficient allowance for the feeding
and shoeing OF the horses.
OF those who went out, Major John
F. Eggert. has, since his resignation.
| been appointed to a position on the
staff of the commander in chief and is
promoted to a higher grade. not by
service, but by appointment, yet in rec
ognition of his services with the First
California volunteers in the Philip
pines.
In relation to the designations that
have been held up, General Roster said
that someone must be retained to &C
count for the property of the United
States and State, and that it would not
be right to leave the companies of the
six-company regiment without respon-
sible parties. He also said: Officers
sometimes fesign, but they ask permis-
sion to chamge their minds and con-
tinue in Office"
In regard to the First Infantry, the
brigadier general has stated that he
has heard a great many things about
reasons for existing conditions, and de-
clared that he alone is responsible for
the whole thing" but adds that what
he did was for the good of the regi-
ment In relation to the talk of the
First being composed of the men who
were the first to leave the United States
in defense OF the honor Of the country,
the general said that the First Califor-
MIA Volunteers was a regiment Of about
| 1900 men and started by the First Regi-
ment. N. G. c.. but that now the regf-
ment was composed OF about 400 men.
| OF this number there are not 10 per
cent who saw service in the Philippines.
while of those who were on the stan
not half dozen were in the war, and
| of the line officers there were only four
who saw service in foreign land. He
! added that living on the past does not
build up an organization.
The general had recommended the
mastering out of five companies, but
was induced to recommend the muster
! ing out Of only two. A and H. CAS- to
General Lauck'S appointment, Of which
so much has been said because he was
| Commissioned by the Governor so soon
! after he took Office" General Roster
said, that was decided last November,
and the action General Lauck took in
the matter was upon my recommenda-
tion and not the outgrowth of any de-
sire to get even with Colonel Kelly If
! General Lauck made any statements at
| Fresno at the time of the formation Of
the State organization of National
Guard officers to the effect that there
would not be any mastering out until
after the annual inspection for 1907 1
do not know 1t. but this I do know,
that after that meeting certain things
have occurred that justified the action
taken"
Colonel Kelly said last week: 1T is
pretty hard to leave the service as I
did after nineteen years in the guard
| just to help along a political move
General Lauck refused to help put the
regiment on its feet again when he
was in a position to do so. This talk
of having the men drill on the streets
4 in citizens clothes is all rot. The
men, when they go out to drill. want
| to do so as soldiers, not like a lot Of
ragamuffins. They talk about neglect
| in the regiment, why it's nothing COM
pared to neglect in the upper Office
Here" and he pointed to a lot Of
blankets and overcoats in the store
rooms at headquarters, Waller and
i Buchanan streets, are goods that were
delivered at this place weeks ago, but
| as yet no invoice has been received
have no information as to whether
| that is all that was sent, but the prop
erty is here and properly counted and
! checked away to be turned over to
Lieutenant Colonel McCreagh when he
is ready to receive it.
THE fact of the matter is that our
system is wrong-that of mastering
out a whole company because of the
neglect of officers. What is the matter
with the neglect higher up the
liner Il Kelly were neg1ectful in
regard TO Companies A and H
General Roster knew of II. Why
did he not jack Kelly up and
tell him that he must attend to his
duties? II General Roster did not
perform his duty, and General Lauck
knew of it, why did not the adjutant
general jack up General Koster and
have him see that Kelly did his? Now,
mind you. 1 do not admit that I did
not do my duty in the premises. but It
Is charged that l did not, and If 1
were neglectful, does 1t justify the
brigadier general in being Negligent, or
the adJutant general in being so? L
leave that to the taxpayers who sup
port the guard"
MEETING NOTICES
! OCCIDENTAL, Lodge No % f. ard a