Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1909-12-02

Military Boiicy Tor OeieHSe.
The military system OF the Uni
ted States contemplates a correlation
OF the Regular Army with the Ma.
tional Guard. II necessarily follows
that the organization of the Regular
Army and the militia in combination
should be such as to permit them to
cooperate and practice together In
time OF peace under conditions SINH
lar to those which would obtain in
time of war.
For several years, and more par
ticularly since 1908, the War De-
partment and the National Guard or
ganizations have been working to-
gether in great harmony and with
increasing effectiveness toward this
end.
Jiont camps of instruction and ma
neuvers in which the army and ma
tional guard have taken part have
been held biennlally since 1903 in
different parts of the country, which
have been Of pronounced benefit to
all troops engaged. The particlpa-
ton OF the national guard In these
maneuVers has given to the Regular
Army the inestimable advantage not
otherwise obtainable OF experience in
the maneuvering OF large masses of
men under conditions of service as
Simulated so rar as practicable to the
actual conditions that may be expect
ed when war is on. The national
guard, in addition, had the opportu-
nifty TO acquire military experience in
association with professional soldiers.
The number of men, Regular Army
and National Guard combined, par
ticipating I'm these different maneu-
vers has ranged from 10000 to 50.-
900. Recognizing the fact that Con-
gress was not likely to authorize in
time OF peace so large an increase In
the seacoast artillery as is necessary
for the complete manning detail for
all the guns of the coast defense of
the United States the plan has been
inaugurated and put In successful
operation of relying on the militia
of the seacoast states to furnish a
part OF the remainder. The time has
now arrived when a rational plan
should be devised for a similar co..
operation OF the army and the mi
litia with respect TO the mobile army.
In ordhr 20 put such a plan into
operation and permit of practice un-
der war conditions I'm time of peace
by the Regular Army and the milf
tia In combination the United States
should be divided into number of
territorial and tactical districts, so
that the organized militia OF the
states comprising such districts may
be conveniently combined with the
Regular Army stationed therein into
permanent hrigados, divisions, and
corps for instruction and tactical or
ganlzation, II Will probably be found
desirable TO have In each state In
such district at least one military
post, the said posts TO be occupied
by troops of the different arms of
tho service In such numbers that
when the troops from all the posts
included in the district are Rssemb-
led they would constitute n division,
including the proper proportion of
all arms and branches OF the regular
service, This regular organization
should be the special educator and
assistant OF the militia forces of those
states and should be the center from
which general instruction could be
given. No post smaller than N regl-
mental one Is OF real value from
standpoint, so far as education, disci-
pline and drill are concerned
The present system of department
al military government should give
way n AN orglnizGtion tactioally
correct for war purposes. that Is,
those various troops, both regular
and militia, gathered together,
should be permanently designated
in name and organization, with all
the attendant system which would
be In existence In time of war. SO
that when the troops retire 20 their
proper stations they will NOT lose
their brigade or division organiza-
tion and viii be controlled by their