Arizona republican., 1914-06-09
VOLUNTEERS
 NOT NEEDED
War Department Notifies States That Regular Army and National Guard Will Compose the First-Line Troops in Case of War

No volunteer troops will be used in case of hostilities with Mexico, and the army will be composed entirely of regulars and guards. Official in formation to this effect was received yesterday by Adjutant General liar ris from the war department, and settles the question of volunteer troops being used in case of trouble in Mexico
 The division of militia affairs, war department, has issued bulletin noti- lying the states not to organize addi- tional troops with the understanding that they will be used in case of war and discharged if there is no war. This bulletin says: "Omitting in the present discussion all reference to the regular army, it may be said that the only source of trained or partially trained troops in existence in time of peace is the organized militia. |. In either case, whether the militia be used as militia or as volunteers, the underlying principle is that the men and officers now in the militia, to- gether with the regular army, shall | form the first line of troops to bear the early burden of campaign and to afford sufficient time for the gov ernment to organize it's second line of defense, composed practically and almost entirely of untrained volun- teers The importance, therefore, of | the present organized militia being organized, equipped and trained so as to be immediately available for ser vice in campaign cannot be over stated
 | Assume that the organizations thus required are in existence and are tproperly trained; a division at war strength consists of something over 22.000 men and officers, and the total of the twelve militia tactical divis- ions at war strength would therefore be about 27O,0O0 officers and men. If to this be added the strength of the available mobile forces of the regular army, force of about 340,O00 officers and men is obtained which it is believed would be sufficiently large for the purpose of first-line troops
 The plan thus devised for first-line troops was made, not with reference to any particular situation, but as a broad. permanent, military policy
 This plan met with the approval of the governors, and this still further tended to entrench it as a part of oUr military system. That the plan ap- pears applicable to the present inter- national situation demonstrates its Isoundness.
 Tt is thought that possibly a part
 of the misapprehension and mistaken ideas as to creating additional troops in the organized militia, at the pres ent time. may be due to the recently enacted Hay volunteer bill. The Hay lbin specifically provides for this trans formation (of the militia to volun- lteers). preserving organizations intact Iup to include a regiment. In so far
 therefore, as the transformation oi recognized organizations of the or ganized militia into similar ones oi lthe volunteer army is concerned, il requires little more than change 1T lname to change the status.
 "Should the necessity arise, ant congress give the necessary author litv. the states will be notified as t(
 the creation of purely volunteer units ldesired by the war department, ant
 at the same time the arm of the ser
 vice, strength, etc, will be designated
 ITO sum up, then, it may be stated
 that the established policy of the wal
 department in case war should occul
 at any time is to call out as firs lime troops twelve complete tactlca
 divisions of the organized militia. A
 far as can be foreseen at this time
 in view of possible international com
 plications, no troops other than thes
 twelve tactical divisions will be re
 quired. Therefore, in case volunteer
 are raised under the provisions ol th
 recently enacted volunteer army plil
 the government will accept for trans fer to the volunteer infantry serVlc only nine regiments of infantry ill eacl division district, and that nine VII
 be those already organized"