Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1911-07-13
100000 Men Are
In Uncle Sam'S Army
And Is Liable to Be Called
Upon For Active Service
In Time OF War

armed mob of patriotic citizens" In
Kentucky and Arkansas they were
scanduiZed to find that every militia
private thinks ne is as good as any
body. even a brigadier general" III
Kansas. Missouri. Tennessee and Tex
as they declared militia colonies were
selected because of their activity in
their communities or because they
came from good old families" One
company. it was charged. was guilty
of having cauteens without corks and
dirty dishes
These reports are said to have in
fuenced the passage of the Dick bill.
which went into effect on Jan. p.
1910. and which was framed by Elihu
Root. then secretary of war. 1t pro
vided that the organization. arma-
ment and discipline of the organized
militia of the several states and ter
ritories and in the District of Column
bia shall be the same as for the regu
lar army of the United States. subject
in time of peace to such exceptions
as may be authorized by the secretary
of war"
The law. however. modifies the pow
er Of the secretary of war over the
national guard by several important
checks. One of these is based upon
the express declaration Of the federal
constitution. ''reserving to the states
respectively the appointment Of the
officers and the training Of the militia
according to the discipline prescribed
by congress-" This check applies only
until war is declared and troops are
called out by the president.
Militia Retains Civil Rights.
AS prescribed by congress the disci-
pline of the militia is that Of the regu-
lar army, but may in time Of peace
be enforced by the war department
only through state authority and state
officers
In addition, except during war or an
insurrection. the members Of the ma
tional guard retain their civil rights;
hence. says one writer on the subject.
while they are being nationalized all
is polite and pleasing. They are con-
sidered as members of the freshman
class in great university of war. the
faculty Of which is in Washington"
Among the methods already put into
operation for converting the national
guard as far as the constitution per-
mits into an arm Of the regular army
are interstate maneuvers. federal pay
for militiamen during encampment.
correspondence schools in military tao
tics Of volunteer officers and super
vision of drills by West Point strate-
gists.
Under the acts of the Roosevelt re-
gime the members of the national
guard. when on duty in camps or en-
gagged in military exercises under con-
troll of the war department. are en-
titled to the pay of regular soldiers.
A division of military affairs was Gre
ated in the war department in 1908.
Cooperating with the secretary of
war and the general staff. this division
controls the discipline and training of
the national guard in each state.
The adjutant general Of each state
is theoretically an adiutant general in
the United States army.
Laws were drafted for introduction
in the state legislatures repeating the
main provisions of the congressional
enactments on the subject. and board
Of state adjutant generals was ap-
pointed to act with the war depart
ment.
Official communications assert that
war can today be prosecuted success
fully only after a long and regular
training in the science of armed con-
fiict Some of the more advanced mill
tary scientists hold that this education
should begin in childhood Major Gen
eral Leonard Wood. head of the army.
advocated in st. Louis recently military
drill beginning ut the age Of thirteen
years in the public schools and rifle
ranges for the instruction Of high
school students in accurate marksman-
ship.
The war department is providing
rifle ranges for the national guards
men. They are inspected regularly by
officers of the United States army
They draw uniforms. arms and equip
ments from the national government
and in time of maneuvers in interstate
camps receive the pay Of regular
troops from the war department.
Exists Only on Paper.
| Each state is urged to assemble its
militia once year within its own ter
ritory for instruction in the war
game" as taught by the leading mill
tary experts Of the world, especially
in Germany 1t is planned to hold
interstate maneuvers every other year.
both in the east and west. and to have
regular troops participate side by side
with the militia.
Despite the new alurementS for
service in the national guard. there has
been no notable increase OF enlist
ment. at least in the southern and
western states
| Kansas and Oklahoma have fewer
than 1000 organized militiamen each
Missouri and Texas have between
| 1000 and 5000 each. and Georgia. Iowa
and Virginia have each between 1000
and 5000 guardSmen.
! The advocates of peace may find