Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-18
ION THE ARMY BASIS
Rule Governing National Sup
port of the Militia.
BUREAU READY TO REPORT
Information Obtained From Recent
Careful Inspection.
DECIDES PORTION OF STATES
All Organizations Must Conform, in
Essentials, to Standard Of
Regular Army.
BUREAU READY TO REPORT
DECIDES PORTION OF STATES

Announcement has been made at the
war Department that the bureau of
militia affairs will soon be ready to pub
hsh the results of its thorough inspec-
ton of the organized militia of the vari-
Gus states and territories. upon which
Will be decided what states are entitled
TO an allotment Of the appropriations
made by Congress for the support of
the militia. January 81 next will be an
important date for the National Guard
throughout the country, for thereafter no
portion of the money appropriated by
congress for the support of the militia
can be paid to any military body that
1alis to conform. in organization and
equipment. to the regular army
The Dick bill of 1903 originally pre-
scribed period Of five years for the
bringing about of the considerable
changes necessary to place the guards
men In uniformity of organization and
equipment with the regular soldier. But
as the time limit approached it was
round that very few of the states had
been able to conform, so an extension
was granted until January 81, 1910.
War Department Takes Stock.
AS that date grows near the officers
OF the War Department who are directly
charged with the administration of the
laws governing the relations of the de-
partment with the militia are taking
stock of the work accomplished and cal
cuiating the percentage of the National
Guarc, as 1t stands today, that will be
thus qualified to retain governmental sup
port. Through its system of inspection
OF militia organizations by regular army
officers the War Department is in DOS
session Of somewhat exact information
regarding the conditions. The detailed
results will be made public in the forth
coming annual report of Col. E NJ
Weaver, chief Of the division Of militia
affairs
1t may be stated that on the whole
the War Department expresses great
satisfaction in the prospect and the ap-
parent success attending the workings of
the Dick bill Next year. for the first
time In Its history. the organized militia,
or SO much of it as remains under the
caption Of the National Guard" will
be found to be armed with the latest
pattern or military rifles; clothed from
mead to foot in regular army gear; sup
piled with all regular equipment and with
law.
Task Of Magnitude.
The task has been one of considerable
magnitude, and that the difficulties have
been met and overcome by so many of
the states and territories of the Union is
held by the department as rejecting
much credit upon the National Guard
officers In many cases the companies
and regiments were mere skeletons
twenty-five men made up an average
company IN many states. Some organi-
cations had SNOWY dress uniforms for
he bnp
like khaki outfits required for field serv-
ice. Still others had only fragments of
any kind of uniform-perhaps a soldier S
cap or coat. which, with some discarded
style of rifle. was supposed to indicate
membership In the guard.
Marked Improvement Shown.
The Improvement in conditions has been
general, but markedly so in the south,
which had formerly been regarded 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 social and club features by the
militiamen at the sacrifice of military
quality.
Though lacking the massive brigades
and divisions of the more populous north
ern states. the militia companies in a
number of the southern states are re-
ported by the inspecting officers to be in
a satisfactory condition of conformity to
army standards.
The west also is doing WELL though
there are some spots regarded as weak.
notably in Nevada, where it is said there
is not a single company of the National
Guard able to establish a claim to a dol
lar of the large annual appropria lions
made by Congress for the support Of the
militia.