Evening star., 1914-01-04

Yellowstone. Wyoming, and Superlntend-
ent of the Yellowstone National Park,
was visitor in the city during the ho!l-
days He took advantage of his visit to
renew acquaintances with many officers
of the National Guard of the District of
Columbia, with whom he was most pleas
antly associated during his detail here.
!; x !;
The adjutants of the 1st Infantry had
their usual New Year reception last
Thursday. 1t was held at the home of
Lieut.. Charles E. Smithson and lasted
from O'Clock in the afternoon until mid
night Many of the officers from all
branches of the National Guard of the
District of Columbia paid calls to the
| reception headquarters.
The opinion of the judge advocate gem
eral of the army, just rendered.
on the right of the Secretary of
War to issue circular requiring
that the organized militia must
conform to certain brigade and division
organization deals exclusively with the
question of the Secretary of Wars au-
| thority. 1t does not attempt to deal with
that part of the resolution covering cir
Gu ar s. which was adopted at the Chi
cago convention of the National Guard
Association of the United States. which
declares that it has been physically i'm
possible to secure these organizations in
the United States Army. and as like con-
ditions in many states make it also phys
ically impossible for these state sto com
ply with the provisions of said circular
$. this convention hereby proteas against
said circular and directs the executive
committee to request the revocation of
the same by the Secretary of War.
Officers of the National Guard of the
District of Columbia who are familiar
with the matter as presented at the con-
vention, declare that nobody has ever
questioned the right of the Secretary of
War to say just what organizations
should compose brigade and a division
in the organized militia. The National
Guard Association sought to point out
that the Secretary of War was seeking
to require the organized militia to COM
ply with something which the regular
army itself could not comply with. The
regular army. 1t is contended. has not
and cannot comply with the brigade and
divisional organization order which has
been mapped out for the National Guard
of the country. However, the opinion of
the judge advocate general of the army
| carefully puts aside this question and
does not mention it, except in quoting
the resolution.
A letter transmitting the resolution
said. in part:
I The spirit of our present law does not
contemplate exact conformity. The origi-
nal Dick bill provides for exact conform
ity within five years from the passage
of the act. At the end of this time 1t was
obvious that this could not be done. An
amendment was ADOPTED Dy congress ex-
tending the time and making the provi-
sion subject in time of peace to such
general exceptions as may be authorized
by the Secretary of War 1t was fully
recognized that conditions of service in
the organized militia would demand a
reasonable degree of elasticity and rea-
sonable notifications of organizations
The uniform attitude of the War De-
partment for many years should not be
| changed, except by the compelling re-
quirements of the law. If the brigade
and division as now defined by law is un-
satisfactory. Congress should be asked
to pass new laws defining these organi-
cations. Until Congress acts, the pres
ent organization of brgades and divi-
sions in the organized militia, organized
/ heretofore in compliance with instructions
| from the War Department and the law,
! should not be disturbed.
"The circular. if carried out in all
| states. would in many Instances disrupt
organizations and would be a tearing
down instead of an upbuilding process.
This is how the judge advocate general
deals with that part of the letter:
Since January 21. 1910, the law, as it