The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-11-02
THE NATIONAL eUARp.


 The result of the Investigation made by the special board of officers into the condition of the Connecticut Ma tional Guard with especial reference to the requirements of the Dick fed eral law is a report which will provoke lively comment and probably in the long run hearty support. Impressive advances have been made in the reor- ganization of the State militia since the war with Spain and if they con- tinue the Connecticut troops will be on regular basis, which that number of years ago was thought to be impos- sible.
 Those who were in touch with the military conditions in the State of Connecticut when President Mckinley called for volunteers realized that rad ical changes would have to be made in them if State pride was not to be made to suffer in moments of national distress. It Is true that the State ad- ministration had been tipped off to the fact that the call for troops would ls soon be made, but it was impossible to convince it that the situation was as serious in the judgment of the mili- tary strategists at Washington as was reported here. Had the administration then in power in the State realized it's opportunity 1t would have been com paratively. simple matter to have the call for volunteers followed by the prompt offer of one or more regiments ready to move, As it was the call was lazily awaited and when 1t came Con- necticut was so little prepared to make an answer that the query was made at Washington: Where are the soldiers from that little yellow spot on the imap?" That the Connecticut regiments never got beyond the camps of instruc- tion in the South and that the light and heavy artillery commands never got beyond Mantle Is to be explained on the lack of foresight exercised at the time.
 Since that time the virtual elimina- ton of practical politics from the or- Iganization of the guard by placing the ladjutant generals department upon a Ipermanent basis and introducing sol- Idierly principles of control has made flor marked improvement in it's ef- If1ciency. Congress passed the Dick law which provided for the partial over- Isight of State commands by the war department in return for moneys ad- lvanced from the federal treasury and IConnecticut in order to profit by the lliberality of the government began tc Ireorganize the guard seriously. There lyet remain the social phases of the
 military service to contend with, but il is believed that these have either beer successfully overcome or been made pleasantly subordinate to the military
 phases. It appears now that a closer
 construetion of the Dick law estab.
 fishes the fact that the brigade com.
 mander and his staff officers are hold,
 ing their positions without authority
 and that when the Dick law has beer
 observed in all of it's requirement!
 there will be no more need of bri,
 gade outfit than there is now for siy pockets in other than hunting shirt.
 The report further reduces the in
 fantry force from three to two regi
 ments. It does not, as it was expected
 it might do, advocate the transforma
 tion of the Third regiment into heav! artillery, suggesting in it's place tn, formation of an artillery command O icompany units drafted from the ex , isting three regiments. The machin , gun battery will be abolished, the gun platoons becoming integral parts of tn infantry commands. This, it is be 7 jlieved, will develop this branch alon the same lines followed in the regula 5 service. The creation of an inspecto l generals department and the remodel 5 ling of the staff corps are looked upoi t as distinct advances. In other words 3 by thus proceeding conservativel 5 along lines of reorganization those i s charge of the Connecticut military es - tablishment are making over the Stat militia without provoking the hostilit ; of the enlisted men