New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-11-18
GOVERNMENT MOVES TO
FIT MILITIA FOR WAR
Urues Each Governor to Join in
Organizing Citizen Soldiers
Into IL Tactical Divisions.
QUICK MOBILIZATION IDEA
New York Would Constitute
Sixth Division, with Head
quarters at Albany-Joint
Maneuyres to Go On.
From The Tribune Bureau

From The Tribune Bureau
washington, Nov. 1T-Tentatiye plans
have been completed by the War Depart
ment for the arrangement Of the organ
lied militia into twelve tactical divisions
with q view of perfscting the state OF
preparedness" so that when II becomes
necessary TO employ the mobile troops Oh
the militia as a field force all details VIII
lave been worked out.
In a letter 10 the Governor OF eacH
state the acting Secretary OF war, ROD
ert Shaw Oliver, submits a table snow
ing the proposed arrangement anu urges
co-operation with the department III per
fecting the organization and In preparing
for an orderly mobilization in the e'eh'
NJ war The United states proper Is OIL
vIded into division districts and the UNITS
within each district are orgahizeu nv
tactical divisions. The division alsIrle''
as proposed are:
fifth division. with headquarters at BIOS
ton-Maine. New Hampshire, NerhIlon''
Massachusetts, Rhode Island ana Noh-
ne"ticut. ,.,.. .. AL
sixth division, with headquarters At AZ
bany-NeW York. ,-..- .
Seyenth division, with headquarters at
Harrisburg-Pen Pennsylvania, ,.--. -.
Eighth division. with headquarterS az
Washington-Ncw Jersey, Maryland, Dei-
uere Virginia and West Virginia. CIne
Organized militia OF the District OF "
nmrla will be employed as army IooPsl,
Ninth division. with headquarters at
Atlanta-North Carolina, South Caroiih@'
Georgia and Florida. ,-., Of
tenth division, with headquarters at
Nashville - Tennessee, Kentucky Ai"
bama and Mississippi. ..
EieyGnth division, with headquarters at
Columbus-Ohio and Michlgan' o+
Twelfth division, with headquarters d
Chlcago-Illlnois and Indiana.
Thirteenth division, with headquaIteIs
at ST. Paul-Iowa. Wisconsin, Minnesota
North Dakota and South Dakota.
Fourteenth division. with headquartHe3rs
al Kansas City-MissOuri Kansas, Ne
Draska. Wyoming and Colorado. -.
Fifteenth division, with headquarters
AZ san AptoniO-NCw Mexico, Oklahoma
Texas. Arkansas and Louisiana. .r.sr.
at san Francisco-CaliiOrnia, oregon
Washington. Idaho. Montana, utah' Ne
vada and Arizona.
Units OF the Division.
The sixteenth division comprises the
following units:
First brigade. three California regi,
meuts. % brigade, one regiment 90.
from Montana, Idaho ana Washing H tuI >
Sd brigade. one regiment each from OIe.
gou and Arizona, four troops or caNairy
Sro,p California one troop of cavalry
from Arizona, one troop OF cavalry ifoH'
Washington two batteries from CalliO. :
MIA. one battery from oregon one uat
terry from Utah, one company OF sIsHI ,r
F.h n
nal troops from California, one company
~ signal troops from Washington, one
field hospital from washington and one
ambulance company from oregon.
Among the units Of the fourteenth divi-
sion district are the following from COR
orado: Two regiments, three troops OIL
cavalry. two batteries, one company Oh
engineers and one company OF signai
troops.
The Acting Secretary Of War says IN
his letter to the Governors:
Separate companies Of infantry have
no place I'm a tactical division. ana they
have therefore not been considered ~
the table of organization. These sepa-
rate COMPANIES. as well as all separate
battaliOns of infantry, should De ~
sosbed into regiments Where this
course is impracticable these sepeE1 q
OrganiZa tons may De COHNel tco nv v.
ganlzations OF special or auxiliary troops
10 make good existing deficiencies;
Field armies would be formed Dy t4e
grouping OF two or more divisions or the
organized militia, or by grouping one or
more divisions of the organized militia
with "A division of regular troops. Nhere
such field armies were formed the or
Plantations forming the Attn Brigade OF
uny division so assigned TO field army,
together with any excesses II might pos
sess IN any arm, would be employed as
army troops or as the circumstances
might require.
The adoption of this principle does not
mean that regular troops and organlza-
lions OF the organized militia will not
continue TO train. manQuvre ana nght
side by side, but, Il being the desire TO
make the tactical organization OF both
forces permanent, troops OF the TWO
classes are not mixed In the same dlVl-
sion. The organized militia Is localized
and will remain so, while the regular
army must go here and there to perform
duties falling short or actual war ser
vice.
II placed in divisions with the organ
lzed militia the withdrawal or these reg
ular troops would constantly be disrupt
ing the divisions to which they were as
signed, and the troops of the regular
army employed on these special mis-
sionS would never have any permanent
organization higher than the regiment.
The actual grouping OF the divisions into
field armies would depend upon the nature
of the particular campaign