The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-07-25
MUST TAKE Them
Kansas Will Soon Have l,lOO
OvercOats on Its Hands.
The Cost Is Little Less Than
S15 Apiece.
WILL HARDLY BE USED
KIN. G.. Is Already Equipped
With Winter Garments.
WILLHARDLY BE USED
But Uncle Sam Has Assigned
Them and They Must Come.

Adiutant General ]. w. F. Hughes to
day placed an order for LOO olive ora"
army overcoats for the use or the ran Ran
sas National guard soldiers; Inc 49,
coats cost S1449 apiece, and the propa,,
bility is that they Will never De ISSUE ISSUE
to the soldiers of the guard. Iney WIN
be packed away in mothproof boxes
and stored in the state arnlorS' 10 y
used in case of emergency.
1t isn't from choice that the state IL
vests this large sum in overcoats' pu'
for the purpose of complying with lAc
instructions from the war deoar tnell =
THE war department says that eacn
state must have on hand a coHlpAetc
regulation equipment for sixty men ~
each company in its Natlonal qua =;
Counting officers and men, kansas Hat'i
about 800 men in its guard, ana II az
ready has on hand 400 blue oVercoat Us.
These, with the LOO new regulation
coats will equip all the soldiers
The purchase of the coats IS MADE OUT
of the Dick fund of $2,000,OOO which the
government divides up every year
among the National Guards OF the var
iOus states - .
In addition to the purchase of over
coats Adjutant General Hughes WIN
purchase $40, 600 worth of other supplleS
for the guard, including new unlIorius.
Equipment. The only thing which VIII
not be furnished or kept on hand Will De
shoes, and these deteriorate so Ias.
when in storage that the governments
will probably allow the men 70 lu IA Ill7,l u
their own shoes, unless it becomes nee
essary to call them into the active ser
vice. ~
At the time of the Spanish-Amer-
lean war it will be remembered that
the national guard soldiers of Kansas,
and most other states as we'll, for tnat
matter, presented most sorry dp-
Dearance They were uniformed IN
almost any old costumes they coulu
find, and some of them had no UNI
forms at ali that were fit to wear
There were no blanket rolls, canteenS,
hats, or other campaign supplies;
even the guns in the hands of the SOL
diers were the old fashioned Spring
field rifles, which were In use ABOUT
the time of the civil war.
It took the United States govern
ment about five or six months TO put
It's volunteer soldiers into shape TO
take the field. They had to make all
eouipment before the men could go
out and fight, and it was slow bust
ness.
The Dick bill is intended to remedy
the war department 100000 year
to be used in equipping and armlng
the. national guard. of the. various
states in the same manner that SOL
diers in the regular army are EQUIP
ped and armed Kansas gets about
$4,000 a year for the maintenance of
its guard out of this Dick fund 1t
is from the Dick fund that the cost or
all the extensive rifle range practlce Is
paid. The war department is de-
veloping marksmen as well as keeping
a we'll equipped military force on
hand.
In case of another war, there would
be no such delay in getting the ma
tional guard into action as was shown
during the Spanish war Within "a
hours. the government could have
100000 national guard soldiers under
arms and on the way to the front. and
As i L hay fr1rr
and experience, the very pick of the
army. In the meantime, the war de-
partment exercises wholesome su-
pervison over the guards of the vari-
Gus states. through it's handling of the
Dick fund. Unless the state manifests
a disposition to keep its organization
up to the scratch, the government
withdraws its support.