The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1914-02-06

why do we have an organized mill
tia" was the question put TO General
Mills one afternoon In his office.
AS viewed from the standpoint OF
the national government, we have an
organized militia 10 take part with the |
army as the first line of defense In
case of any national emergency" re-
piled the general.
TO maintain ourselves" he contin-
ued until the great mass of volun-
teers which Is certain TO be needed to
carry on any war with foreign pow
er can be enlisted, organized. equip
ped and trained.
THE organized militia is to be dis
tinguished from the unorganized mill
tia. The latter embraces the man
hood of the country. Since 1892 every
male citizen of the United States be-
tween the ages of eighteen and forty
five, who is physically sound, has been
a member of the unorganized militia.
The organized militia includes the
National Guards of the several states.
It's reported strength is 100000. The
! law of 1903 makes this a more formid-
able arm than its prototype ever was
before. The war department recog-
nizes it as a potent force which. with
proper support by congress, can be
made a real national military asset.
Only those elements of the National
Guard which participate in the federal
appropriations and conform In organi-
zation, armament and equipment with
what Is prescribed for the regular
army are recognized by the war de-
partment as part of the organized
militia This takes In, however, al
most all the so-called National Guard
organizations in the country.
THE policy OF the war department
is to make the organized militia an
efficient force for national military
purposes. The department is without
authority to increase the strength OF
the organized militia, 1t being within
the province OF each state. under the
constitution, to determine what sized
force II shall have. The purpose OK
the department is to seek to mako
effective the intention OF congress- as
expressed in existing laws, and assist
the states in so organizing. arming.
: equipping and training their National
Guards that these independent forces.
when needed. can pass, without reor-
ganization, smoothly and easily into
the federal service.
: The division of militia affairs Is
the machinery through which the war
! department exercises its supervision
over and discharges it's responsible
l ties to the organized militia. The oil
: vision Is one Of the four coordinate
: branches of the office Of the chief OF
2 staff OF the army. Its duties are conf
r prehensive. They fall naturally into
e two classes. One Is administrative
and the other Institutional.
Administrative embraces all the
. details connected with the supervision
of disbursements Of federal funds. the
e organization OF the National Guar(
S in the various states, and their equip
{ ment with arms, ammunition, uni
s forms and camp equipage generally.
), The aim of the Institutional Ell
i | 1QItS Is 10 dSSlSl Tic ctdeCo Ia oOSo'
n trained and efficient field force. Un
: der the constitution the authority TO
n training the militia Is in the hands o
the states, but it must be of the kline
n that Is prescribed by congress for tn
o army.
h with this in view. there are a.
e signed to each state specially qualifie
ID and selected officers to do duty as ir
Is observation-disclosures. assisting the state
-e in this practical way, and enablin
them in the matter of training to kee
ct in touch with the most modern metl
IL DDS pursued in the army.
ly The result Of federal assistance a
In forded the organized militia is that
in has greatly increased the efficiency
a the force 1t is progressing so we
OF along these lines that, with continue
Ii assistance b. congress and a recogn
iy ton of that assistance by the state
at the nation will have a dependable fiel
he force. certainly one infinitely bett,
yh than any new organization, filed L
ed with unframed citizens. could be e
pected to be-"