Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-12-28

serves, l am inclined to agree with him.
THE attitude of the War Department
toward the organized militia has always
been that it favored the organized militia.
in the event of call for volunteers. be-
ing taken in under the first call. The
constitutional objection, however. seems
to make it inadvisable, at least, to make
it positive provision of law that the
President shall take these organizations
in with the existing officers.
If you agree with Mr. Hays view con-
corning the constitutional objection, and
with the general view which have sug-
gested. 1 would like you to consider
whether 1t would not be we'll to amend
the bill now in your committee by pro-
viding somewhat as follows:
Provided further, That when three
listed strength of any company. troop or
battery. or when three-fOurths of the
prescribed minimum enlisted strength OF
each company, troop, or battery. COM
prsed in a battalion, regiment brigade or
division of any state, territory, or the
District of Columbia, organized as pre-
scribed by law and War Department reg
ulations. shall volunteer for service In
the volunteer army as such company.
troop, battery, battalion. regiment, brig
ade, or division, such organization may
be received into the service OF the United
States as part of the volunteer army,
and the officers in service with such or
ganiZatione may thensbe commissioned by
the President as officers of corresponding
grades in the volunteer army and be
assigned to the same grades in the said
organization.
Il am, of course, not insistent upon the
proportion which must volunteer as above
suggested: and if some other smaller pro-
portion is thought reasonably safe. 1t
might be considered-in no event less
than two-thirdS.
Il had hoped before this to be able to
get together with you and Mr.. Hay and
discuss this matter. but we are all SO
busy in our respective spheres that fear
We may not be able soon to effect such
81 meeting.
!: :. ); :.
Brig. Gen. George H. Harries. COM
handing the District Of Columbia mill
tia. was at the brigade headquarters in
The Star building yesterday and with
Lieut.. Col. A. L. Parmerter, D. c. NJ,
went over pending National Guard mat
ters 1t is understood the case Of Capt.
Thomas r.. Clark of the pay department.
who rendered his resignation, was re-
viewed by Gen. Harries.
j. * X !.
The New York Chamber of Commerce
some time ago appointed a special COM
nittee to look into the matter of enlist
ments IN the National Guard and the Ma
val Militia of that state. and the report
of this committee has just reached Wash
ington. After going at some length into
statistics on the percentage of men who
enlist in the militia, the report says that
as conditions exist today, from the
standpoint of security of property. your
committee believes that the National
Guard and Naval Militia should be re-
cruited to their full strength and should
be maintained at high degree of eff
cheney.
There is another question, besides the
security of property, to which the conf
nlittee desires TO urge the attention OF the
chamber, and that is the marked and
beneficial effect upon young men of serV-
ing in one of the state military organiZa-
tons. Such service emphasizes the value
of qualities that are not only helpful in
business life. but which tend to better
citizenship. 1t develt ps such characters
tics as respect for duly constituted au
thority, obedience to superiors. fair treat
nent and courtesy to those in inferior
positions, punctuality, regularity of hab-
its and good physical condition. These
are matters which make a man worth
more to his employers and are opposed to
every lawless and degenerating tendency.
The manner the bearing, the department
and steadinesS of a young man are all I'M
proved by service In one of the military
organizations of the state, as they are
conducted today. The committee has
been given the opportunity of inspecting
various regiments and battalions and OBJ
serving their activities not only on the
drill floor. but in their company rooms
and social life and it is very favorably
impressed with the conditions shown.
employers should be given better OPP
portunities of seeing for themselves that
because of the equipment and the class of
men freauenting them the state armories
make the best places of general recrea-
ton for young men to spend their even
ings'
In seeking the cause for the compare
lively small number of enlistments. the
report says: This committee finds, in
the first place that the slackness in re-
cruiting is due principally to the indiffer
ence of young men of eligible age, and