Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-02-05

mon worked so StudlOuSlN ana so success
fully to perfect themselves iii the essen
tails of their military duties. The other
is the fact that despite this hard and
continuous work there has been steady
gain in membership Figures are pre-
scented showing that the aggregate
strength of the National Guard and Naval
Reserve increased during the year 1871
flom 1914 to 1890. of this increase of 24l.
SiXty-one are accounted for by the mus
term of the new Tenth Company, Coast
Artillery Corps, at Brunswick in April.
but the remaining increase of 175 is dis
tributed quite generally throughout the
/ several organizations and Indicates Il
= healthy and most encouraging growth.
1t is stated that the changes in personnel
which necessarily occur in the National
| Guard and the constitutional provision
requiring the election rather than ap-
pointment of commissioned officers some
, times results in the election of other than
+ the best available individual with a con-
sequent set back in some company units
but it is pointed out that the work of ex-
! amining guards and the steadily advanc-
, ing standard of military efficiency is
+ rapidly wedding out the few remaining
indifferent or incapable officers Discus
sing general conditions in the State mill
tia General Dill says: q wish that it
might be possible to acquaint the people
OF the state more generally with the
work which is being done in the armories
and in summer camps and on summer
cruises. ! am confident that if the gen
eral public could come to appreciate the
basiness-like manner in which the young
men Of this State are fitting themselves
for the better service of the State and
nation in time of need they would lend
hearty support to everything which would
tend to the further upbuilding of the
National Guard and Naval Reserve
Encouragement of Service.
Compared with many states, Maine
has done little to encourage service in
the organized militia. Yet ] believe this
Is due more to lack of proper presenta-
ton Of the miIitias aims and needs than
to any feeling of antagonsm or indiffer-
ence. In common with many officers
who have studied the militia at close
range. ] came TO the conclusion a long
time ago that before the militia could
expect greatly increased support from
the people it must make good its chosen
the National Guard and the Naval Re-
serve can Justly claim that they made
good. From somewhat extended ac-
euaintance with the militia of other
states, | feel justified in saying that the
people of Maine have "A right to be proud
of their militia organizations In COM
parison with the militia of some of ,Ae
larger and more wealthy states the
Maine militia is small body but its
average proficiency Is high and with the
cooperation of the public in securing
better armory facilities and the assistance
of business men in making enlistment
easier there is no reasonable standard
of militia efficiency which this small
force cannot attain.
Measure of Efficiency.
"Inasmuch as the several orSanza-
tons of the National Guard are CON
stantly under the eye of trained soldiers
from the regular army the measure of
efficiency is no longer wholly "a matter of
state opinion The officers of the Coast
Artillery Corps are required to pass an
examination for which the papers are
furnished by the War Department. The
examination is conducted under the SUI
pervision of am army officer and the
papers after being marked by the State
authorities are forwarded through regular
army channels to the War Department
and the standing of each officer is finally
fixed in the office Of the Chief of Coast
Artillery. The first examination under
this system was held last May. the sec
ond in November At the present time
every officer of the field and staff of the
{
pany officers successfully passed the basic
course examination and two-thirds oil the
officers have qualified in the higher
courses. Two officers Captain Vernon
W. Hall of the "a Company and First
Lieutenant George T. Fogg of the 5th
Company have passed successfully all
the courses prescribed by the War De-
partment.
While the War Department has not
Yet established fixed courses for Infantry
and Medical Corps. infantry and medical
officers in this State have been pursuing
regular courses of instruction under
army officers and have fully kept step in
the march of progress.
AS preliminary to the summer en-
campments officers of all arms of the SER
vice have their special camps where for
four days they devote themselves contin-
uously to the work of becoming qualified
instructors for their enlisted men-the
Coast Artillery officers at the big guns
in the forts and the infantry and medical
officers under canvass doing practical
field work-and all under competent in
structors from the regular army
1T is along such lines as this that the
militia is working today and | have
mentioned in some detail the routine of
the year, hoping that it may serve to bring
the matter to the attention of the gem
eral public.
General Conditions.
General conditions in the organized
militia of the State are thus summed up
by Colonel James l.. Moriarty, Inspector
General an officer Of over % years con-
tinuous service in the National Guard.
The National Guard of Maine continues
to improve. This has been embodied in
my report year after year. The end of