The Newark star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1909, 1909-08-10
GOVERNOR AND
FORMER SENATOR
SMITH SPEAKERS
Fort Wants States Military
Force Developed Still Further
and Promises to Help.

SEA GIRT. Aug. 10.-At a banquet
given at brigade headquarters in honor
of Governor John Franklin Fort and
F. Collins, of the Second Brigade, n. G..
n. j., last night Governor Fort and
orine United States Senator James
Smith, jr, united in praising the Ma
tiona1 Guard. The Governor in advo-
eating further development of the
service, said:
There is nothing that | can legiti-
mately do for the guard that l will
not do"
Former Senator Smith. who was one
of the commissioners who secured the
ground on which the camp is located,
was the only civilian, with the excep-
ton Of Governor Fort and Leslie II.
Fort, his son and secretary. who was
invited to the dinner. In introducing
him, General Collins said:
w are fortunate in having with US
tonight one who has one great good
to the National Guard and one whose
friendly offices have often been IN
Noked in its behalf Senator james
Smith"
senator Smiths Speech.
Il was with my family when the
invitation to be present at this dinner
arrived" said Senator Smith in open
ing his remarks, but | felt hat l
should leave them to come and 60
honor to the general and he Chief
Execui e, whom l have known for
a great 4nany years, eve since boy
hood, when l was directing, or pretend
ing to direct, the affairs of state.
AT that time l used TO come into
contact with Genera Spencer and
others of the Guard, who We're always
at Trenton trying to get more money
for the National Guard. At hat time
most of US thought that those officers
wanted to come down here and shoot
into the air and have a general good
time. We thought that they were fool
ing the people. A great many believed
that any State Senator who voted to
give the Guard more money could not
be reelected.
'Since then things nave taken a
change for the better. The great ma
jority of the American people at that
time were against a great standing
army, but even that has changed now.
New Jersey and other States have or
ganized a militia SO that in case the
country should have war it would lie
able to meet the troops of other coun-
tries where, by law, the. young men
are compelled to enter the army be-
tween the ages of IS M q.
THE government has not only recog-
nized this need by apppropriating
money for the expense of maintaining
the Guard, but also sends Regular
Army officers to train the men who
down here and work for practi-
cally nothing.
Proud of Militia.
81 believe that the people of New Jer-
sey look upen our militia with pride
and feel that the money spent on bring
ing it to its present state of perfection
has been well invested. feel hal the
time has come when the spending of
money for the training of soldiers is
known to have been we'll spent.
II know that the general is a good
citizen, and, what is more, ne is a good
Democrat. Therefore he must be a
good general.
Il can look back at nothing thai
have been connected with with more
eeotism than nv connection with +ba
comuission that houeht or condarn.a
he lana now occunied nv This camn
n 10 sofa 70 he the most narfact in the
conntrv want n commitment w.,
On what T have head "a
otaht rona~ ~ ooauot - .rI.
nann IN, srre hot tbe soldiers who
bach from here Of the and Of tbe
wael, viii ret,,r, moro yvorthv of their