The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-12-21
NATIONAL GUARD
FkANSAS,U.S.A.
Adjutant General Martin Tells
of Its Preparedness.
1t Is Now in q High State of
Efficiency.
EQUIPMENT HALF 4 MILLION
Kansas Second to None, Says
War Department.
Complete Reply to Criticism
From Normal School.

FROM NORMAL SCHOOL,
Several days ago a statement was
sent out from the State Normal school
at Emporia by Professor Clair Turner
rejecting seriously upon the National
Guard and declaring 1t a shameful
waste Of money to maintain 1t as at
present,
The injustice and inaccuracies of the
article are taken up and thoroughly
exploited by Adjutant General c. F.
M-rtin in the following convincing let
ter addressed to Turner:
1 find in the Topeka State Journal OF
December IA. 1914, an article date lined
Emporia, Kan, December IA crediting
statement in the December issue OF
Teaching published by the Normal
school: THE National Guard of Kan
sas is a disgrace and, to maintain 1t
under present conditions is a shameful
waste of money" You are also cred
tied with the following statement:
Under the present system no adequate
provision is made either for equipment
or training. The men have not shoes
which would stand a ten-mile march,
they have no training in digging or in
defending themselves" They would be
shot down in droves in case of war.
This is not the fault of the officers or
the men, it is the fault of an inefficient
system Of organization.''
This article also states you were for
merly lieutenant in the National
Guard and that you believe in making
it efficient. In reading this article I
was very much surprised that one in
your position, the head of a department
in our State Normal school. should
make such statements; statements so
contrary to the actual facts and SO IN
furious to the National Guard of Kan
sas. You are said to believe in making
the National Guard efficient. Yet the
statements, credited to you, are ap-
parently made without having in
formed yourself of the facts in the
matter on which you speak authorita-
lively and publicly.
I cannot believe that you Intentional
ly misrepresented the facts nor that
you did this for the purpose of injur-
ing the National Guard; in fact. can
hardly believe that you have made the
statements that are credited to you
in this article Nevertheless. I feel it
my duty. as adjutant general of the
state of Kansas. to reply to the state
ments credited to you in this article
and to give the public some facts relat-
ing to the National Guard as 1t exists
in the state today.
Kansas second to None.
You say: The National Guard of
Kansas is a disgrace and, to maintain
it under present conditions is a shame
full waste of money" The National
Guard of Kansas consists of two regi-
ments Of infantry, one battery Of field
artillery and hospital corps detach-
ment. I have been told by officials Of
the war department that the National
Guard of Kansas is second to none In
its efficiency and preparedness for field
service. In view Of this, by an asser-
ton not based on facts. you have con-
demned the National Guard of every
state in the United States. To main
tain the National Guard OF Kansas
at the efficiency recognized by the war
department 1t costs the people Of the
state Of Kansas about. four cents per
capita. considerably less than the aver
age for maintenance OF the National
Guard 1 other states. In view Of these
facts. I am at a loss to understand how
the National Guard of Kansas can be
a disgrace" and why the maintenance
Of 1t Is a shameful waste of money"
You also state that it Is not the
fault Of the officers or the men, but
that is is the fault Of an inefficient
system Of organization. The organi-
zation Of the National Guard Of Kan
regular army OF the United States and
the organization of the regular army
of the United States is that which has
been adopted by the general staff at
Washington after years of study and
investigation on the part of the war
college and OF the most Intelligent and
efficient officers Of the regular SER
vice and is recognized by military ex-
perts the world over as the best in
the world.
You also state that no adequate
provision is made either for equip
ment or training and that the men
have no shoes which would stand a
ten-mile march. The equipment of
the national guard Of Kansas Is ex-
actly the same as that Of the regular
army Of the United States and this
equipment has been adopted after
boards of officers from the regular
every item as being the best that
could be procured and has been recog-
nized by all nations as the best equip
ment OF any nation in the world.
To give you an idea Of what the
equipment of an infantry soldier of
the national guard Of Kansas consists
I will enumerate the articles which
the state of Kansas provides for each
of its enlisted men:
U. s. magazine rifle cal. 30: bayonet,
I bayonet scabbord, 1 gun sling, / rifle
cartridge belt and fasteners, 1 pair rifle
cartridge belt suspenders, first-aid
packet, l pouch for first-aid packet, !
roll straps. haversack. I meat can, 1 cup.
ASTHMA COUGHS
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