The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1912-12-06

! brought under a proper organi2a ton
hut they will remain physically scat
tered until congress supplies the nee
csSary funds for grouping them in
more concentrated posts
Regular Army Reserve.
The new law provides that The sol
der. after serving four years with col
orS. shall pass into reserve for three
| years AZ his option he may 90 into
/ the reserve AT the end of three years,
/ remaining there for four years While
1 in the reserve he can Ice called and
/ only i'm such case will receive stated
amount If pay for all of the period
/ in which he has been a member Of the
/ reserve The legislation is imperfect,
! i'm my opinion. in certain particulars,
/ but il is n most important step in the
I right direction, and | earnestly hope
! that il will he carefully studied and
/ perfected by congress
The National Guard.
Under existing law the national
guard constitutes, after the regular
army. the first line of national defense.
| Its organization. discipline. training
aud equipment under recent legislation
have been Gssimlated. as far ~ posi-.
bic. To those Of The regular army. and
its practical efficiency under the effect
of this trainm. has very greatly in
creased. our citizen soldiers under
present conditions have reached u stage
of development beyond which they can
not reasonably be asked 10 80 without
further direct assistance in the form
OF pay from the fedora government
On the other hand. such pay from the
national treasury would not be iuSti-
fled unless it produced a proper cquiva-
lent in additional efficiency on the part
Of the national guard.
The organized militia today cannot
be ordered outside Of the limits of the
United States and thus cannot lawful.
~ he used for general military pur-
poses. TIL" officers and men are ambi-
tlOus and eager To make themselves
thus available aud 10 hecOiue mn etli
cient national reserve If citizen sol
diery, rhcy are the only force Of
trained men other than the regular
army upon which we can rely. The
80 called militia pay bill in the form
agreed on between the authorities of
the war department aud the represent
ativcs Of the. national guard. i'm my
opinion adequately meets these condi.
lions aud offers proper return Tor the
pay which it is proposed Ia give 10 the
national guard
] believe that its enactment into law
would be n very long step toward pro-
Nidug this nation with Il first line of
citizen SUldIery. upon which it's main
reliance must depend in case of any
national emergency. l'lanS for the or
sanizaton Of the national guard into
tactical divisions ou the same lines as
those adopted for the regular army are
being formulated by the war college
division of tn. general staff
Porto Rico.
Porto Rico continues 10 show notable
progress both commercially aud in the
spread of education. Its external com
merce has increased IL per cent over
the preceding wear. bringing the total
value up Ia 500 .t3l $50. or more than
five times the value of the commerce
OF the island in 1901 During the year
lGO.GJI pupils were enrolled in the
public schools us against lI.,.l25 for
the preceding year aud ~ coslmred
with 26,O00 FOR the first year of Amcri-
can administration.
The failure thus far to graut Amcri.
can citizenship continues to be the only
ground of dissatisfaction. The bill
comforting such citizenship has passed
the house of representatives aud is
now awaiting the action of the senate.
! am heartily in favor Ut the passage
of this bill. ! believe that the demand
for citizenship H. Just Hnd that il is
amply earned 10y sustained LOYALTY on
the part OF the inhabitants of tie IL.
land. But il should be remembered
that the demand must he. and in the
minds of most Porto RicanS is. entire,
~ dlsassociated from any thought of
statehood
The Philippines.
pill is pending in congress which
reyolutionizeS the carefully worked out
scheme of government undv which the
Philippine Islands are vGw governed
aud which proposes 10 render them vir-
tually autonomous at once and ALSO
lutely INDEPENDENT in eight years. Such
a proposal can only be founded on the
assumption that we have now discharg-
ed our trusteeship TO the Filipino PEG.
Pile and our responsibility for them 10
the world aud that they are now pre-.
pared for self government us well as
national sovereignty A thorough and
unbiased knowledge of the facts clear.
ly shows that these assumptions are
absolutely without justification.
As to this believe that there Is no
substantial difference OF opinion among
any Of those who have had the respon.
sibility Of facing Philippine problems
in the administration Of the islands,
aud ] believe that no one 10 whom the
future of this people is II responsible
concern can c0untenance policy
fraugbt with the diresl consequences
10 those on whose behalf II il osten.