Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-04-05
OUR MILITIA.
A Foreign Officer Praises
Our eua1ds"''' .
Uncle Sans Soldiers Are
OF Splendid Material.
Manner OF Executing Drills Moth
ing Short Of Marvellous.

of the AuStrO- hungarian army mas WIZ
ten q letter to the Army and Navy jour
nal in which arc some interesting OBJ
servations on the American lnilitlaman.
The officer says.
In continental Europe the words
militia and national guard are used
teasing regulars. whenever they fail to
execute a certain drill with clockwork
exactness, consequently / was not a little
surprised when seeing just such militia
or gl1ardsmcn drilling here in the United
States. Considering that most of the
militia or National Guard companies drill
only two hours per week, besides the
summer encampment of one week, l must
say the average results are nothing short
of marvellous. The attention with which
Americans execute the drills is surpris-
ingy good; consequently American militia
companies beat Europeans at sharpshoot-
ing The allowance of cartridges for tar
get practice is about the same in Europe
and America. Continental armies have
about I20 cartridges allowed for tield-like
use which is more than the American
militia have.
II would say America is invincible with
such defenders in their stock, but here
mcnt'-whicl makes all the efforts of the
minority naught. "A young college boy
joined, for purely patriotic reasons, the
Naval Reserve of Ohio. The first time he
was seen at Il Decoration Day parade in
Cleveland the men working with him in
the same Office used him as a target for
their Jokes and our patriot hau soon to
quit his position The same holds true
about the labor organizations, which
treat the military with contempt, because
nobody teaches them the use of the mill
taly, while too many agitators point to
them as TO their oppressors, and never
as to the defenders of their property
their home and treside. The rank and
file is of an excellent material fine look
ing boys of 20 to - are the great bulk of
the membership: everyone knows that
but the officers, | feel sorry to saw are
under the requirements In my opinion
officers of the National Guard ought TO
be raised TO be such, evening officers
aspirant schools to be frequented. as the
name already indicates by members of
the various National uuard organizations
who are DESTROYS to become officers In
each National Guard garrison there
should he one such course under the pos
Side &uperlntendenCy of the officer dele
gated to recruiting service for the regular
army or navy. The students attending il
cclud be styled officers aSpirant. wear an
oHlclaily recognized badge and become
graduates after successfully passing all
theoretical and practical examinations.
from these graduates vacancies should he
filled by the present method of election
All officers aspirant would attend 10 tba
duties of the regular rating they held
when they applied for admission to the
school and devote one or two extra
nights to this school per week. As =
special lnducement vacancies occurring in
the regular forces should be filled b,.
those applying from the officers aspirant
schools after they have served in tho
national guard of their state for at least
two wears and become graduates of the
above school
so as to bring better trained mon into
inc ranks policy should be followed re-
ea'ull's those men OF the regular service |
VINO Apply Tor their discharge before |
NY tithe IS up Instead OF buying them |
't'NeS ou' OF the service let them have |
ller discharge free upon enlistinr for |
twice the remainder Of their enlistment |
III inc regular service. i'll the militia IF
state The present purchase price to be
deposited on interest and be refunded
alter 1ulfllinS this suggested new rledra i
lhSciplnc is a necdtul help in case ar 4
war ana cannot be gained without Il
framing Unpleasant orders are orton Il
given IN war time. and time for an arou
meh'' why company should not ,,sa :,
piloSe' but wade through the crnc1. io
scarce A disciplined company will of
,o"iS Sc execute the order without hesita-
49, diiothcr may not, and thus cause
'eleat. The militia as she stands to5a,. II
i'S niue authority over its members. if
- case OF INSTRUMENTATION one member
7"'"iu ne punished the chances arc that
many respective members will avoid tha
- SANITATION for fear of being punished L
N "liio way. The only remedy To ovnr
'n.0 "l'iltaly antagonism and get a dis
Hiiile III the establishment is comnu1sor,,
@l'o"'ii Huafd service: by which euob |
men VINO are under law obIired "a io; |
ho colofS would benefit their effnr,inoa, !
N""u vanish, the carriage Of tboir 1o, |
'"'id improve, their character vou,d 10 |
,oli'e stronger. The outdoor life a,r;n
nc TWO weeks of a summer encar,n,,o,,t
Fouid decrease the number of oora,..1
n
ives America has, and fins ,da a,,S.I.r
'' .'.. an'ase outweishing all others
schools and institutions now enoao,
- -, ni'lltary instruction could furnish Tho
Vi the national guard in the FIN
r"plis or such schools could have
~ ''le they are in these schools counted ,
y, p"''o iuifiiiing their obligation toward :
r e., 1eiS' beginning at the legal age /
,,o,,,a r. - system such as suggested
ne 'lfhe required to comply with tho rro
isioh would entail no hardshir -
MEMBERS. The period of this commute.
nn service should be uniform all over
= a e''.es ana say, be for three Years r. q,
,. a. 'eu at the age of IS, if of healtbv t
.aluie' ~ If rejected, ana % if rejected f
,oonu 'iIhe' Those rejected thrice sha,1 {
ice from service. Prolonged service l.
hape of q promju,,, III