Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-11-20
NATIONAL GUARD
NOT FIT FOR WAR
Paper Strength of Organized
Militia Misleading and
Hides Deficiencies.


Tribune. They say that If war with Mex
ir" should u" declared TODAY the ma
tonh! government would find an astound-
ing weakness in the National Guard
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When mon physically unfit 70! wal
service, married men and those that
would not volunteer because families are
dependent on them are taken into con
ton in the paper strength. The Official
paper strength. as every one well versod
i'm National Guard affairs knows does
not truthfuly represent the duty do!nr
mon Of an organization. The figures are
gathered at the annual inspections made
In the armories, during which euer-euc
ana frequently ridiculous, Efforts ar,
made to gather in the men for tho an
nuH counting.
The men thus enrolled on paper mt tn,
annual inspections never appear wher
'''i' are camp "utF' mahoeuVreS' 0rdi'
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rife engaged in fargo. nrao,,oo,
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ar rife practice bo. hoar sboy,, +,,,s ,.oo.
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rifle nrac-,ce -
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~ '~i'N y ii1r
WIN '0 or ~ per cent OF the grand TO-
'"l Oh I-l'''- members OF the Nationa
GUARD i"und mt for duty there would b.
Na'NahIe skeleton organization to I'll
up with volunteers ], was the hop
When the national militia law was adopt
ca that the National Guard would b.
turned over to the army for war just a
It stood, without any further physica
examination Of the men. This, however
according to the attorney general of tn
United states, cannot be done, and II
case of war the National Guard woul,
have to volunteer, as IT did in 1895 an,
be mustered into the United States serv
ice as volunteers.
The mastering in would take time. a
the physical examination Of each ma,
would have to be made previously. The
the organize ton, filled un with yec1l,ts
"o"'u ''"' - ne instructed ana hardene
~ 81 months 'e'ore peing sent t
INC +'"'' y" '"'s ue'NI consumes time
anu '.'"'' ,ohFerSaHt with the plain fact
PoiHl U"' 'n' dpsurulty OF assuming tina
theIe are over l-4'oo guardsmen read
'or war
Inc 3rd infantry ~ 9. ~ Y, made u
~ separate companies IN various citie
- tAe largest regiment IN the Natoni
Guard OF the United states having J."
oihceTs ana men on It's roll AS 1t r.
qnireS niue more IMAM l''oo men for a
infantry regiment ar war strength eve
ms command assuming that all OF il
members now on the roll Wer" fit for wa
would nave I" recruit ABOUT 300 men
There are ~ infantry regiments In "
state with present strength OF lo'ofS
the aggregate Assuming every man
for war which Of course is far from II
fact' no fewer than l""f' recruits Wou