Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-07
LARGER COAST GUARD MAY FAIL OF ITS END.
California to Recruit Sixteen Comma Visit of Kinu Edward
Artillery Companies. to Capital of Germany
NOT A JAPANESE SCARE HEARTY VEL COME CERTAIN
Was Decided Upon Before the Re- Preparing Display Lavish
Legislation. Hospitality.
PLAN OF WAR DEPARTMENT OPERATING POLITICAL MOTIVE
Hardly to N
Viewo of in Enelan
Was Decided Upon Before the Re
cent Legislation.
PLAN OF WAR DEPARTMENT
Present Move Merely Carrying Out
Request Made to Gov. Gillett
January 8.

SACRAMENTO, Cal. February g.
State Adjt. Gen. Lauck was emphatic in
making the statement today that the re-
newed activities in his department, at, the
request of the War Department at Wash
ingtOn, for the organization of sixteen
militia companies of artillery for coast
defense were not the result of the pas
sage by the assembly of the anti-Ja pa
nese school bill. Gen. Lauck declared
that neither Gov. Gillett nor himself had
the Japanese situation in mind when it
was decided to accede if possible to the
request of he federal War Department
that he establish an adequate coast de-
fense.
When Gen. Lauck submitted recently to
State Controller Nye his estimate of
SaSoUO for the expenses of the National
Guard during the next two years the
controller cut 1t down by SCI, 400. This
sum, the adjutant general states, included
S''o,oW for the maintenance of the six
teen additional companies asked for by
the national government.
Appropriation Necessary.
tnless the finance and ways and means
committee of the senate and assembly re-
speciiveiy disregard the controller S
recommendation and put back S3S. 600
deemed necessary. said Gen. Lauck. it
would be useless to attempt to accede to
the War Departments request
Several months ago the adjutant genera,
declined TO assign the sixteen companies
Tor the purpose of manning the guns
along the coast on the ground that il
would be unfair to take that number
from the three regiments of state militia
been effected.
January o the War Department ap-
pealed to Gov. Gillett to organize the
sixteen companies, but it was not until
two weeks later that the chief executive
and his adjutant decided to accede The
governor agreed with Gen. Lauck that
by securing the services of business men
and men of family who did not desire to
leave the communities in which they re-
sided In the event of hostilities such COM
panies might be organized with good re-
suits.
State to Furnish Money.
Following this policy an effort is be-
ing made to raise fourteen companies in
San Francisco and two in San Diego, the
principal strategic points on the Califor-
Ma coast. The legislature is expected
by the adjutant general to furnish the
means of support for these orsaniza-
Mons on the basis of $1O0 Il month for
each company.
According to the commanding officer
OF the California National Guard. there
are available at this time not more than
one-fourth of the number of men re-
Gulred to man the guns protecting San
Francisco harbor
SAN FRANCISCO. Cal. February G
GOV. Gfliett informed one of the news
paper men who accompanied him to San
francisco today that his visit had no
connection with the anti-Japanese lesis-
iat1on at Sacramento The governor de-
cilned. however. to continent upon the
purpose of his visit
Robert Shaw Oliver. assistant secretary
of war. said last night that the War De-
partment request of Gov. Gillett To or
ganize sixteen militia companies of artiI-
lery is merely part of the general scheme
for national coast defense California he
said. is one of few states which have
not their full complement of militia, the
idea being to organize a twin militia COM
pany Tor every company of regulars
located at the artillery posts
II has been feature of the War De-
partment's policy to utilize the services
of the militia of the several states in
the summer maneuvers in conjunction
with the work of the regular army force
so that the former may get the Denefit of
the practical training of the latter This
has been notably the case in the eastern
part of the United States.