The Washington herald., 1912-01-14


militia board shall prescribe.
In order that they may make an in
telligent presentation Of their case -
members OF Congress and others inter
ested, officers of the Guard have been
given a small pamphlet setting forth the
advantages of the Federal pay bill
Among the reasons for support Of the
bilI'' are that the government needs a
larger military organization: that the
National Guard IS recognized as one OF
the military forces by the Constitution;
that the use OF the National Guard Is the
most economical method for the national
government TO secure a large military
force, as II is now to a considerable ex-
tent supported by the several States;
that the National Guard does not lessen
the productive capacity OF the country
by withdrawing men from the ordidary
vocations OF life: that II will enable Of
ficers Of moderate means TO devote the
time necessary 10 military duties and
studies; that II will secure the services
OF well-educated young men for officers
retain In the service capable officers,
compel all officers to establish their mill
tary fitness for their respective duties,
courage enlistments, and will protect
the national government aginst the loss
the national government against the loss
Guard.
The Relative Costs.
A special point is made as to the rela-
tive cost to the Federal government OF
the National Guard and the regular army.
There are at present about 10000 National
Guardsmen, for whose support the Fed
eral government pays annually about 81
Oo0o0o. There are about 1900 officers
and men in the regular army. for whose
support the government pays annually
more than SS0OO0o0o. The pamphlet esd-
mates that an active force of 10000 Of
ficers and men could be maintained at
minimum expense. including appropria-
tions already made, OF $lZ000.o0o, or an
average OF 500 per man. per annum. The
expense to maintain the regular army is
s., 900 per man per annum.
1t is estimated that by enlisting the
companies OF the National Guard TO war
strength. the force would be about double,
or would equal 20O,O men. The companies
OF the regular army would in case of
war also have to be materially increased
to get on a war footing, but many
guardsmen believe that in the event of
war. the average man would prefer to
go to the front with his own State troops
as National Guardsmen than TO enlist in
the regular army for a period OF three
years. especially as the pay is the same
in each case, and chances for promotion
in the Guard would be far better.
When at the passage Of the Dick law
eight years ago. the transformation OF
the National Guard to an efficient Sed-
eral military force began. many Of the
militia bodies were semisSOcial military
organizations. with distinctive uniforms
Discipline was largely a matter of ad-
herence to more or less elaborate club
bylaws, and both officers and men, in
case OF war, had an option as to whether
or not they should volunteer" TO go TO
the front At present the National Guard
is. by law, and is rapidly becoming In
fact, an efficient military force, with ef-
fective means of enforcing discipline,
armed and equipped as the regular army,
and by law compelled TO respond to a
Federal call for troops, in case or war
or danger OF war.
More Democratic.
BY paying officers and men suitable
the National Guard will
become both more democratic and more
professional Young men who in years
passed would have made excellent Of
fcers were often compelled by lack OF
means 10 accept commissions, because
they could not stand the expense OF
elaborate dress and full dress uniforms,
nor the extensive social entertaining Of
AueihDeFS OF lueiF GOLluAduub INCUMBENT
upon their positions Officers in those
days were frequently elected because of
their ability to treat the boys" or give
the swellest dances in town"
By making II possible for any one who
has the requisite mental and physical
equipment 10 become an officer, and by
both encouraging and compelling him to
study military science, the corps OF Of
icers OF the organized militia will be-
come, what II should be, a body OF we'll
trained professional soldiers who realize
that war is becoming more and more a
science in which ignorance or errors In
Judgment viii entail the lost OF thousands
OF human lives.
A man who to-day by enlisting in the
Guard assumes a positive obli-
cation to go 10 war and to obey implicitly
the mandates OF the officers over him has
a right to expect that those officers win
not. through Ignorance, waste his lies
blood. When the nation pays the Guards
men, it not on,y can expect far more
Of them. but II places them in a position !
where it Is possible 10 realize fully on
that expectation.