The Harrison times., 1914-07-04
NATIONAL GUARD FORCES Of UNITED
STATES ARE IN GOOD CONDITION


to the front unquestionably they will
go In divisions, but the advance ere
alton of these divisions has been diff
cult, owing to the limited control OF
the federal government in the prem
ises, the varying conditions obtaining
In the different states, "the fact that
in the general case several states com
pose a single divisional district" and
the fact as the current report OF the
chief Of the military division says
that no regular army officers have
been available for working on the
problem. The division formation, how
ever, unquestionably will be the forma-
tion OF the National Guard for tactical
purposes in case they are ordered into
the field.
As has been said, the regular army
forms the first four divisions The
Fifth division, geographically speak
Ing includes the New England states
The other divisions In order and the
states whose troops will go to form
their units are: Sixth, New York;
Seventh, Pennsylvania; Eighth, Wiz
ginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Della
ware, New Jersey; Ninth, Florida,
North Carolina, South Carolina;
Penth, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennes'
see, Kentucky; Eleventh, Michigan and
Ohio; Twelfth Indiana and Illinois;
Thirteenth, North Dakota, South Da-
kota, Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin,
Fourteenth, Kansas, Colorado, Wyo'
ming and Nebraska; Fifteenth, Louisl'
ana, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, New
Mexico and Arizona; Sixteenth, Utah,
Nevada, California, oregon, Washing
ton, Idaho and Montana,
Under a law recently passed by con-
gress and approved by the president
It will be easier to take the National
Guardsmen Of the different states into
volunteer service than ever before, II
threefourths Of the members Of
state regiment express their willing
ness to enlist the organization at once
can be sworn into the volunteer sery'
ice, and the deficiency Of enlisted men,
If any, can be made up by volunteers
from outside Of the organization. 1t
viii be seen from the table given OF
the twelve militia divisions that the
brlgades and regiments forming one
division will be drawn from neighbor'
ing states, thus In q great measure
keeping up not only the traditions OF
state pride, but Of that pride which in
good sense can be called sectional.
This sort Of feeling Is recognized as
being proper, and as stimulant to
high endeayor
The National Guard OF every state
in the Union today is armed with the
latest model Of Springfield rife and
carbne for the infantry and cavalry,
and with the latest type Of field guns
for the artillery, The equipment OF
the other branches, the engineer, sig
nal and sanitary troops, Is also that
Of tho regular service,
Comparisons ~ n saying which has
gone into the class OF the bromide
has It. are odIous, and they also are
frequently inyIdious, but the National
Guardamen Of some OF the states are
In far better trim for the field than are
their brothers Of other states, once
in tho seyIce, however, with the ex'
ample which the regulars set for them,
with the strengthening OF their en-
durance qualities by the open air and
the exercise and with the discipline
which IN the service rigIdly Is en-.
forced II ought not to take long to
bring the more backward Of the rogl'
ments nearly abreast Of the others In
efficiency and to make the guardsmon
dIyielon units In strength as they are
units In organization
A division In the smallest military
unit containing all arms Of the sorv'
Ice and all branches Of the stan, As
the chief Of the division OF militia af'
fairs puts II, 1T Is the smallest mill
tary tool box and the smallest unit
capable Of independent action A large
foreo could not we'll bo administered,