The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1911-03-10
4 FEDERAL MILITIA
Plan to Make Citizen Soldiery
Part of Regular Army.
Colonel Weaver Would Have Control
OF National Guard Taken From
States--Scheme of MoblIIza-
tlon for War Drawn Up.

States become involved In foreign
war, the country, including the Ha-
waiian Islands and Porto Rico, would
military divisions, in which the regu-
lar army troops on duty within their
limits, together with the national
guard of the states comprising the
division, would form the backbone of
the great army that would have to be
recruited to defend the country.
The war department has already
carried the plan of combined mobiliza-
men into effect In the New England
states and New York, which makes up
the first, second and third divisions in
the plan of national mobilization.
When the full plan of mobilization Is
realized 1t will include every national
guard organization In the United
States proper, and In Hawaii and
Porto Rico, and some day, perhaps,
the great national reserve organiza-
tion that at present exists only on
paper.
OF the proposed national reserve,
the creation of which has been the
dream of army officers for so many
years, Col Erasmus M. Weaver U, s.
A., chief Of the division of militia af-
fairs In the war department, In his
annual report, after referring to the
limitations OF uniformity In training
the organized militia, as enforced by
the special conditions existing In the
different states and territories, adds
that these limitations need not neces-
ssrlly lead to the conclusion that 1t Is
impossible to provide satisfactory
uniformly trained body of citizen sol
diers for the defense of the United
States.
Lack Of Uniformity.
IF the best conditions found among
the organized militia of the states"
he says In his report, "could be made
uniform throughout the United States,
1t would be satisfactory solution of
the problem.
"The conclusion Is reached, that
while q federal citizen soldiery may
be expected to be made really salts.
factorily efficient for field service,
state militia under existing conditions
will always vary from very satisfac-
tory to very unsatisfactory.
"The question arises, therefore, as
to whether it would be possible to
bring into existence such federal
citizen soldiery as here indicated. 1t
ls possible that the present organized
militia would not approve of such
body of citizen soldiers, and 1t would
be useless to attempt to provide such
force If the organized militia should
oppose 1t.
"A body of federal citizen soldiery,
organized by federal law, would have
to be organized under the power of
congress granted by the constitution
70 raise and support armies; it would
have to be part OF the army of the
United States; 1t could not be any
part Of tho militia authorized by the
constitution.
with these thoughts In mind, with
q clear understanding that the pro
posal is at the present time purely
academic, and with view solely to
developing discussion, 1t is suggested
that body of citizen soldiery, such
as that contemplated, might be Gre
ated as reserve for the regular
army; that congress might provide
such force as a part of the United
States army, reserve branch, to sup
plement and to combine with the
active regular army and the organ.
ized militia for national defense In
time Of emergency.
Part Of Regular Army.
Such n reserve force might we'll
constitute part of the regular army
of the United States; that is, the reg
ular army of the United States might
be considered as divided into two
branches, an active branch kept con-
stantly modified and filled to the
limit now authorized by law, and that
reserve to be called say, the national
reserves, to consist of body of citi-
sen soldlery, supplementing the active
army, and constituting, in time of
peace. body that would receive
trained soldiers. both commissioned
and enlisted, from the active regular
army on one side and from the organ
ICED militia on the other,
TT would serve as body to receive
all who had had military training in
the active regular army and organized
militia. but who, while wishing to
give up active training, would desire
to mako themselves available for
military service In time of national
danger; It would keep such in hand.
organized for war service, In appro-
PIRATE military units,
In case such force we're created.
It would lend itself admirably to the
mobilization Of the national forces In
time of war. With the regular army
consisting as II does. for war pur
poses, of 100000 men, with force Of
national reserves OF. say, at first,
100000 throughout the United States
and with force of 100000 organized
militia, which, It is believed, viii
eventually he possible. the first line
of defense would consist OF a minelinp
OF these three II such force as
here indicated were created, the
brigade might consist of one regular