The San Francisco call., 1908-11-29
NATIONAL GUARDS
STATUS IMPROVES
Major Thomas Wilhelm Tells of
Qualifications Necessary to
Secure Commission
Federal Government Provides
for Uniform and Equipment
and Dictates Rules

SACRAMENTO, Nov. 2s.-AdjUtani
General Lauck today appointed Lieu
tenant III. III. DeIamater Of %lameda q
unember of the brigade staff and de-
tailed him 10 act as assistant TO Colonel
Thomas wilhelm, L. :. A, retired, in
Inspecting the California mifitin.
Speaking Of the changes that have
taken place in the matter Of improving
the condition Of the national guard IN
this state. Major Thomas wilhelm, u
= A. (reured). inspector of the guard
Tor the war department. and state. said
yesterday.
TO have good men in the ranks
that Is, men who understand the duties
of fhe soldier-they must have men
over them as commissioned officers who
themselves know those duties. With
that idea in mind the regulations gov
erning the examining boards have been
so changed that one coming before the
examiners TO qualify for commission
IS no longer passed upon In per-
functory manner. Candidates have to
give proof Of knowledge Of the school
OF the soldier. Of company movements,
of battalion evolutions, of interior
economy. Of paper work and the trans
mission OF the same through proper
channels. Of caring for the men in
quarters or in the field, of the manner
of securing transportation, entraining
and detraining troops. Of tentage, Of
providing food for the men and OF
sanitary regulations
THAT in the main is the line Of ques-
tions at this time and several who have
come UP for examination recently have
been turned down for lack Of Hnowl-
edge Of these very important matters
This is becoming known in the guard
and men who would like TO wear
shoulder straps are not so anxious to
accept a nomination in a company as
they were in years gone by.
An instance of this occurred only
last week ia Santa Rosa. where a ser
geant, was elected TO become second
lieutenant Of Company z of the Fifth
infantry. but he declined to come before
the board. to take the examination, and
another election has been ordered.
In future the commanding officers
for the guard Of this state viii have
10 be men who know what is expected
Of an officer and be able to do the same
work as the officers Of the regular army
# they should be called on for active
service"
The recent announcement made that
the superior officer Of the national
guard of California had notified each
company to send ia a requisition for 20
new khaki uniforms aroused the ire Of
some che in Woodland, where Company
7 of the Second infantry is located. A
letter was printed strongly cTiticising
the order and asserting that, as the
companies had been supplied with olive
drab uniforms only a short time since
ST looked as If some one was trying to
work a graft on the state treasury.
The criticism aroused Brigadier Gen
eral Lauck to the fighting point. The
general declares that there is no foun-
datiOn for the assertion that the state
treasury will have to pay for the uni
forms He says that, under the pro-
visions. of the Dick bill, the national
guard organizations must be equipped
and uniformed like the regulars. In
order to do this the national govern
ment makes a yearly allowance to each
state and a portion Of this is used to
purchase uniforms for the state soldiers.
The only expense TO the state in this
matter is the payment of the freight
from the point Of shipment, which, Cen
eral Lauek says, is but smaH matter.
4.AaJol h u -hLdLucMS son. commanding
the third battalion of the Fifth infantry.
addres sed a meeting Of the non-coms.
Of the battalion in the Waller and
Buchanan streets armory Friday night
on the element Of the infantry drill.
Ex-Licutenant G. W Kuehn of Com
pany X has donated a handsome bronze
trophy to the third battalion Of the
Fifth, to be awarded to the member OF
team OF ten men who shall shoot at
the zoo 300 and 500 yards ranges. the
trophy TO become the individual prop
erty Of the man who shall win it three
times
Sergeant CIegg Of Company E. Fifth
infantry, located at Santa Rosa. who was
recently elected second lieutenant of the
company, declined to go before. the ex-
aiming board to qualify for the posi-
tion, therefore another election has been
called, 10 be held November 80. Major
G. j. Gilman of Paio Alto, engineer
officer of the staff Of the Second brigade.
has been detailed TO preside.
Many months ago q number Of young
men IN Palo Alto organized as a COM
Tsany with the intention Of becoming a
part OF the national guard Of the state.
The roll contains the names of 13a
clislbies, and they were under the i'm
preston that they would be put into
vacancy in the Fifth infantry, but in
this they were disappointed. as the
vacancy was filled by an organization
that was formed in Berkeley after the
one al Palo Alto had been completed.
There IS no prospective vacancy, and
the talk is now that the Palo Alto or
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