The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-01-10
NRMN STANDING FOR MILITIA.
War Department To Bring Militia
Into Coordination or Dust COmpa-
mics.

Washington, Jan. 5.--Bearing in
directly upon the militia situation i'm
south Carolina, which for the past
Year or more has been decidedly un-
satisfactory to the war department, Il
clean cut issue has been made be-
tween the department and the Ma
tional Guard Association OF the United
States upon the point of organization
of thc militia for the country BY di-
rcction of Secretary Garrison. Mai
Gen. Wood as chief of staff of the
army has issued circular announce
inc the decision of the Judge Advocate
General Crowder that the militia must
conform i'm organization To the stand
ard of ne regular army, else it will
he deprived of all federal financial
support.
This decision is of the greatest inn
portanCc to the militia as well as to
the government because few, If any,
OF the state National Guard organiza-
tions are now able to meet the re-
quirements and To obtain use OF the
militia In an emergency there must
he a sweeping change i'm the state
organizations or radical modiiica-
tion of the existing militia law.
When the Dick militia act became
effective i'm 1908 period of five years
was allowed within which the militia
form to regular army standards. In
most states excellent results were OBJ
tanned i'm the improved training and
the better equipment of the National
Guard.
Eut one important requirement was
ignored because immediate com
by the war department. That was
that the state militia should be organ-
lied into brigades and divisions. The
brigade was to he commanded by q
brigadier general and the divisions by
a major general. and when the war
department last August issued cir
cular No. s, requiring the militia or
gani2atiOn to conform to the above
requirement ii developed the fact that
there was great surplusage of high
ranking officers i'm the militia and
that major generals were command
Inc hriC l,;,,
erals simple regiments.
Enforcement of Ghe circular would
require many of these officers to lose
their high rank unless they were able
10 recruit the rank and file sufficiently
to fill up the gaps in the organiza-
tions. The National Guard association
has fatty refused To comply with this
requirement on the ground that there
is not sufficient authority i'm law fol-
defining the organization Of the
brigades and the divisions and that
it has been physicaIy impossible tc
secure these organizations in thc
United states army and like condi.
tions i'm many States make it also
physically impossible for IT, ese states
To comply with the provisions of the
circular"
The secretary of war was requested
tq revoke the circular.
Judge Advocate General Crowder
ruling upon the legal point raised by
the association. fully sustains the
right of the war department to issue
the circular and points out that the
secretary of war himself had nC
longer authority To suspend the ap-
plication of this requirement. Secre-
tary Garrison has adopted this view
in publishing the opinion.
The decision concludes that the
state authorizes would be warranted
I'm mastering out either Il major gen.
cral or a brigadier general and their
staff IL they were without the neces-
sary number of men To compose q
division or 1t brigade.
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