The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-05-10
PAY BILL
OPPOSED BY SALE
Thinks Measure Now Pending
in Congress Should Be
Crushed Forever.
TELLS OF ITS BAD FEATURES
Time for Concerted Action by
Various States to De-
feat 1t.

Several provisions contained In the
Pepper National Guard pay bill. now
before the Military Committee of this
House of Representatives. have aroused
the State militia officials AZ over the
country to pitch of opposition not
seen for years. Although these same
provisions. Objectionable to the Ma
tional Guard. have baen advanced and
defeated time and time again. a deter
mined effort is being made just now to
force through these amendments to
tho pay bill during tho present session
Of Congress-.
Not only Will State control OF State
troops be entirely nullifed but MILL
tia volunteers will be called upon for
more rigorous service than regular
army men, declared n prominent oill-
Ger of the Virginia Volunteers yester-
day. Acknowledgement w. w. Sale. in
common with the adjutants of numcr.
Gus other States. is up in arms against
the proposed measures, and has given
out 10 n reporter for The Times-Dis-
patch the statement which Is printed
below.
The Objectionable features of the
Pepper pay bin, according 40 General
Sale, are unfair percentage basis for
the pay of tho National Guard, court
martial of mllitiamen who refuse to
render military service when called
upon by the national government, un-
just ranking of regular officers over
militia officers. and unwarrantcd au-
thor!ty given to the President to go
over the heads of senior militia OIL
GERS in appointing junior regular ON
GERS in command OF National Guard
forces.
Adjutant-Gcnernl's Statement.
General Sales statement follows:
FRO MAN article IN the Army and
Navy Journal OF May /, 1912, with ref
erence to the National Guard pay bill.
l notice:
81 They have gone back and again
proposed to calculate percentage pay
on the straight pay. not Including
longevity pay. The Pepper bill pro-
poses TO pay the National Guard u
percentage on straight pay, including
longevity pay. Since the percentage
is but percentage and small enough
any way. there is no reason why ths
National crard saoula he rruit,cd In
this parsimonious way This question
has been threshsd out before.
'2. Provides further that any mem
Der of the organized militia, having
agreed to render militat' service to
tho United States under tna provision
OF this act. ntGlccts or refuses, shall
be subject to trial therefor by court
martial In other words. d!scrlm!nat-
ing against the miiiilaman and caus-
ing him 10 sell MS b!rthrignt for
small pcrce n;a;sS OF straight regular
pay TO the United states govcrnme 4;
!n Il way not contemplated for the
regular army. receiving 100 per cent.
o. pay.
-. Providing for the relative rank.
regular army, organic ID militia and
volunteer forces, as follows: First oth-
GERS of the army; second oil -ers OF
the organized militia in the service OF
the United States, third. officers of the
volunteer forces. and providing further
that officers Of the regular army hold
Ing commissions. in the organized milf
tin in the service II the United States
and in the volunteer forces shall take
rank and precedence under said tenn
pHlar!ly held militia commissions over
ali officers of the militia or volunteers
holding like commissions. This is also
tenaciously Insisted upon by the War
Department and included (notwith-
standing the fact that being obnoxious
to the organized militia il was droppHd)
In Mr.. Hays hill with reference to
change "f articles of wa.
1T also prov!A,s that tho President
shall, without reference to rank, as
sign the command of the forces OF such
field department or command or OF or
sanizations thereof, without regard to
seniority OF rank. This would mean
that army influence would be brough,
to bear upon tho President from time
10 time. and the authority to command.
the militia by militia officers would
pass to the army and accomplish what
the War Department has been striving
TO Observation-Disclosures control OF the mill
tia organization.
Il am Of the opinion that unless the
most vigorous action Is taken immc-
diately by the acknowledgement of tn,
states. unless a conference is held In,
Washington at once and a distinct and
unchangeable policy adopted immcdi-
atsly. that not only Will the passage Of
the pay bill be rendered impossible.
but that legislation Will be passed at
this session OF Congress which will
be "a serious blow at the organized mill
tia and tax from the Governors OF the
States any authority over their troops
whatsocvcr''