Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-08-01
STATE SOLDIERS
UNDER PRESIDENT
Bill Urged by officers of Ma
tional Guard Is Reported
in Congress.
PROVIDES PAY FOR ALL.
Claim Made That Passage of Measure
Would Greatly Strengthen the
Service.

Washington, Aug. 1.-The organic
ed militia pay bill, in which the ma
tional guard of the country is deeply
interested, has been reported to the
house by Representative Pepper of
Iowa from the committee on military
affairs. General E. c. Young of Chi
cago and other officers of the guard
have been working on the bill for sew
eral years making repeated visits to
Washington, where they appeared be-
fore congressional committees.
The bill as reported retains the es-
sential features urged by General
Young, and it's friends claim that it
will materially increase the efficiency
of the organized militia of the states.
GIVES PRESIDENT CONTROL.
One of the most important para
graphs of the bill is that which pro,
vides that the president can use the
organized militia of each state and
territory for service within or outside
the United States. In a decision rem
dered Feb. II, 1912. the attorney gen
eral held that the president could not
call forth the organized militia ana
send ii into a foreign country with
the regular army as part of an army
of occupation.
Representative Pepper, in a report
accompanying the bill stated that in
the opinion of the committee the
question raised by Secretary of War
Stimson, which Attorney General
Wickersham answered, has been sat,
isfactorily solved and the difficult stat,
utory and constitutional problem met
so that should the bill become law the
national guard of the country would
become an efficient fighting force
available for service wherever the
president is authorized to use the reg
ular army.
PAY FOR ENLISTED MEN.
The bill provides that enlisted men
| in the national guard shall receive
per cent of the pay of enlisted mer
of corresponding grade of the regular
army if they attend not less than At
regular drills each year This rate Of
pay is decreased according to the mug
! Der of drills less than As. officers OF
! the national guard are to receive un
| der the bill from TO Is per cent o.
the pay of c>1cers of similar grade il
/ the regular army, the highest pay be
! ing provided for company command
ers.
1t is estimated that II will require al
annual appropriation of s9,234,729 Il
pay the organized militia as at pres
ent recruited under the provisions o
the bill OF this amount Illinois
would De entitled to s522,12S; Indiana
s19s,574; Iowa, s21S,151; Michigan
s194,5O6, and Wisconsin, s190,541.
FRIENDS OUTLINE CLAIMS.
II is claimed by General Young AM
other friends of the bill that it viii
enable officers of moderate means L
devote the necessary time to militar,
duties and studies; that It will max
possible the services OF well-educate,
young men for officers; that it will re
tain in the service capable officers
many OF whom might otherwise b
compelled to resign; that ii will pre-
mote efficiency by requiring ever
| member u tue ndtlOldl Sud4A " %
tablish his fitness for military service
that It will assure more regular a
tendance of enlisted men at drills
that II will encourage enlistment
particularly Of the better class of mel
and that it will protect the govern
ment against the loss OF property ii
sued TO the national guard.
The personnel of a few Of the o.
ganizations of the national guard ar
men OF means, who go into the SCI
vice for the love of il, and they ca
we'll AFFORD the time required and th
expense involved is of no consequence
70 them" says Mr.. Pepper in his n
port on the bill. But the great mi
jo-ity of the officers and men VII
compose the national guard are no
giving their services al a financial sa
rifce.
Use VACATION SEASON.
Most of the enlisted men give U
their summer vacation to atten
camp Attendance at drills and Ia
get practice often involves car fal
or being absent from home for a mea
the expense Of which must general