Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-12-11
Secretary of War in Annual Re-
port Says National Guard
Has Advanced.
MUST CONFORM IN JANUARY.
Organization, Armament and Discl-
pllne Must be Same as In
Regular Army.
Especial Correspondence.)

the organized militia showing n vast
Improvement along the lines sought III
the departments plan 10 increase the
Efficiency oil the national guard, now
the first reserve of the regular forces.
Sccretary Dickinson says OF the militia:
The strength of the organized militia
as reported by the officers of the regu-
lar army after the annual spring IN
spections is 1896 officers and enlisted
men. This is an Increase of 1850 over
that reported last year.
Not only has there been an Increase
IN numbers of the organized militia,
but II is gratifying TO find that the re-
ports of regular army officers made in
Connection with. instruction and mar
euyer camps and field exercises duIiag
the past summer indicate that there
+ has been a material Increase In the
] military efficiency of the organized
militia.
4 II has been the first year of operation
OF the new militia law. and there Is
reason to think that this Increase In
military efficiency may be attributed, In
part ut least. to the effect OF this Law
In some directions the improvement has
been SO general as to lead the depart
ment TO hope that the new law marks
the beginning OF n transition movement
from old militia methods and old militia
condition. III connection with which ths
amusement, socal and club features OF
militia life were paramount, to a new
set of conditions under which Officers
and enlisted men of the organized
militia appear to look upon their mill
tary duties In a serious way, and under
which there appears to be an honest
and earnest effort on the part of both
commissioned and enlisted personnel 70
attain a standard of real value fo-
field service In war, and thereby to ac~
compllsh the objective OF the new
militia law, to make the organized
4 militia a worthy component with the
Regular forces of the United States In
combned mobilization OF the two forces
for war service.
MUST CONFORM IN JANUARY.
The new law provides that after tho
2lst of January. 1910, in order to be
Classified us organized militia" and
hereby enjoy the benefits of the funds
appropriated by Congress and of the
Issues made pursuant to law, all state
forces must have the same organiZa.
armament, and discipline as the re9u-
lar army The limiting date was made
originally Jan. u, 1908. but the date was
extended two years. During the past
year the military authorities and leg1s-
latures of tho states have been actively
requirements OF the law In regard TO
conformity with regular army stand
ards. II may be said that conformity
has been satisfactorily established In
all but two states.
1t has been necessary to Indicate 10
the state authorities that the law re-
quires not only that there shall be con-
formity as to organization and as TO
H armament and equipment OF their
h forces. but that the discipline of the
organized militia shall be the same as
that OF the regular army, the word
"discipllne." as used In the Constitution
and the law. being construed to mean
that instruction and drill that may De
necessary TO give troops a real military
Value for field service after they shall
have been organized and equipped.
TRAINING THE MDN.
With view to meeting the full obli-
CATION of the department In regard &c
Instruction. there has been organized In
the division of militia affairs an In
struction branch. with the object of
placing at the disposal OF the states
every facility that can properly be eN-
tended under the law to assist the mill
tary authorities thereof in impartIng
both theoretical and practical instruc-
ton to the state forces. Along these
lines the department has encouraged
the formation of correspondence schools
for officers and enlisted men. and IN
connection with state encampments and
special assemblages for field instruction
has furnished commissioned officers and
enlisted men. to assist In giving prac-
teal instruction. Aside from the theo'
retical instruction impaired by CORE
spondence schools, lectures by commits
STONED officers. and special literature
OFFICERS
cEganized militia. the question of prac'
teal instruction is being closely OBJ
served by the department This divide:
Itself Into two classes, VIZ. the practl
cal instruction that can be given II
armor1es. and that which can be giver
only In the field
LACK OF ARMORIES.
The most serious difficulty affecting
the question OF instruction of the or
ganlzed militia at present is the lack o
adequate armory accommodations II
many OF the states. The department d
OF the opinion that the states shoult
provide such armorlcs for storage ia
clllties for the valuable military store
Furnished by the federal government
Spme OF the states have had a keen ap
probation of this obligation and hav
Responded splcndidly thereto; other
This obligation: but 1t Is regretted tha
IN some states the question has not re
. celved any effective attention,
IL II urged that Congress make suit
able appropriation 10 carry out the po
lcy OF the department to have Joint ms
4 ncuvers between the state forces an
The regular forces during the cnsuin
Y year.
AUXILIARY TROOPS.
The instruction of the auxillor
troops (field artillery, oIvalry. sign
corps and medical corps) In their fle
duties forms a special problem. A vel
fatisfactory solution is believed to hn'
been Initiated during tho past SUNNI
IN connection With the instruction
The field artillery OH the Soveiame
.reseryation ut Sparta, Wis. Three lie
schools OF instruction for medical q
ncers were also held at Antictlm, Spa
n. and the Presldio OF San Francis,
The officers and enlisted men OF 4
Held batteries were inf"minglcd wi
he regular officers ano men for DIR
purposes. and. through this close ass
tiation and the man-to-m0n instruct
ihereby made possible. knowledge n
mining were acquired that cannot
attained from books or from ordina
frills rs conducted by the militia
heir armories or on thtir home flel
Thc reports which have come In fr'
hIs camp indicate that the method "
pitc successful. and lead to the 81
|fstlon that 1t may be utilized In s
rg instruction to cavalry, engine
nd signal corps troops.
The medical cncampmcnts were CO