The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-10-18
CUARDSMEN ON
 ANXIOUS SEAT Militia must Conform to Strict
 Regulations. DICK BILL SOON EFFECTIVE
Southern Volunteers Generally Are :. Up to Standard.
Under New Law, Members of National Guard Cannot Secure Govern metne Support asd Money
 Unless They Pass Rigid Examinations.

Washington, Oct. 71.--January q
 next will be a critical date int he history of the National Guard. for thereafter no portion of the money appropriated by Congress for the sup port of the militia can be paid to any organization that fails to conform to he standards of the irregular army.
 The Dick bill of 1903 originally pre- scribed period of five years for the bringing about of the considerable change necessary to place the National Guardsmen in uniformity of organiza- ton and equipment with the egular soldier. But as the time limit ap- of the States had been able to con- form. so an extension was granted un- til January 2i, 1910.
 As that date grows near, the officers of the War Department, who are di- rectiy charged with the administration of the laws governing the relations of the Department with the militia are taking stock of the work accomplished and calculating the per centage of the National Guard as It stands today. that will be thus qualified to retain Governmental support. Through its system of Inspection of military organ izatoisn by regular officers. the War Department is in receipt of some ex- act information regarding the condi- tions Details will be made public in the forthcoming annual report of Col. E. M. Weaver. chief of the division of military affairs.
 Government Satisfied.
 It may be stated hat on the whole the War Department expresses great satisfaction in the prospect and the apparent success attending the work ings of the Dici. bill Next year. for the first time jn its history, the militia ar RA much 5rf if nu fng hn caption of the National Guard. will be fodnd armed with the latest pattern offmilitary rifles: clothed from head to foot in. regular army gear; supplied with all regular equipment and with ranks filled to the requirements of the law
 The task has been one of consider able magnitude and that the difficult ties have been met and overcome by sd many of the States and territories of the Union Is held by the Department as reflecting much credit upon the Na- tiona, Guard officers. In many cases the companies and regiments were mere skeletons-twenty-f men made up an active company In many States. Some organizations had showy dress uniforms for parades. but lacked the homely, business-like khaki outfits re- .quired for field service. Still others had only, fragments of any kind of uniforms--perhaps soldiers cap or coat, which, with some discarded style of rifle, was supposed toyindicate mem- bershi pin the Guard.
 The improvement in conditions has been general but markedly so in the South, which had formerly been re- garded as a weak spot by the strict disciplinarians of the regular army, who felt that in that section undue prominence had been given to the so- cial and club features by the militia men at the sacrifice of military quality. Though lacking the massive brigades and divisions of the more populous Northern States, the militia companies In a number of the Southern States are now reported by the inspecting officers to be in a very satisfactory condition of conformity to army standards. The West also is doing well, though there are some spots regarded as weak. mo- tably in Nevada, where 1t Is said there is not a single company of the National Guard able to establish a claim to dollar of the large annual appropria- tions made by Congress for the support of the militia.