Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1914-06-06
NATIONAL GUARD FORCES OF UNITED
STATES ARE IN GOOD CONDITION

lin UUUU UUVUliiCH
to the front unquestionably they will
20 in divisions. but the advance ere
alton of these divisions has been am.
cult. owing TO the limited controi %
the federal government in the prem
ises. the VARYING conditions obtaining
i'm the different states. the fact thaI
in the general case several states com
pose a single divisional district anu
the fact as the current report OF Ih'
chief OF the military division says
that no regular army officers nave
been available for working on Ihe .
problem The division formation now
ever. unuuestionably Will be the torma
ton of the National Guard for tactlcal
purposes in case they are ordered lh'o
the field.
As has been said. the regular arm!
forms the first four divisions. Inc
Fifth division. geographically speak
ing. includes the New England states.
The other divisions in order and Ihe
states whose troops will go TO FORM
their units are: Sixth, New YORK
Seventh. Pennsylvania; Eighth, VII
ginia, West Virginia, Maryland De'd
ware. New Jersey; Ninth, Florlua'
North Carolina. South Carollha'
Tenth. Mississippi. Alabama, Tennes-
see. Kentucky; Eleventh, Michigan anu
l. Ohio. Twelfth. Indiana and Illinois,
= Thirteenth, North Dakota, SCUM u"
i kota, Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin,
Fourteenth. Kansas, Colorado, Nyo
, ming and Nebraska; Fifteenth, LOUISE
ana Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma Ne"
Mexico and Arizona; Sixteenth utah'
Nevada. California. Oregon. Washing
ton. Idaho and Montana.
Under a law recently passed by con
a gress and approved by the president
y IL will be easier to take the Nauohai
a Guardsmen of the different states into
al volunteer service than ever before.
4. | three-fourths of the members OF
81 | state regiment express their Wiling
81 ness to enlist the organization at ones
81 can be sworn into the volunteer serV
81 ice, and the deficiency of enlisted men
I'll if any. can be made up by volunteer
III from outside of the organization. l
|
= the twelve militia divisions That III
III brigades and regiments forming on
q division will be drawn from nelghpo
ISL ing states. thus in a great measur
s. keeping up not only the tradltiohs
$$ state pride, but of that pride Whlch
81 a good sense can be called seciohd
= This sort of feeling is recognized
s. high endeavor.
The National Guard of every sta
in the Union today is armed with u
latest model of Springfield rifle al
erf carbine for the infantry and caviar
ihf and with the latest type OF heio gu
ma for the artillery. The equipment
the other branches, the engineer s.
nal and sanitary troops, is also III
OF the regular service.
90 Comparisons. as a saying which d
gone into the class of the bromiC
, has it. are odious. and they also
~, frequently invidious, but the NaIloi
leu Guardsmen of some of the states
in far better trim for the field than
'ess their brothers of other states. On
Dick .n0ii 80 bo,ever with the
in the SeVlce, nONeNei' Win w
luel ample which the regulars set for the
liis with the strengthening OF their
ave durance qualities by the open air a
eur the exercise and with the dlscipl
war which in the service rigidly IS
MILL forced. it ought not to take long
Al bring the more backward of the re
10 ments nearly abreast of the others
con- efficiency and to make the guardsH
tne division units in strength as they
de units in organization.
Col A division is the smallest milit
IN unit containing all arms OF the Sc
serv- ire and all branches of the staff.
y IN the chief of the division of militia
n as fairs puts it, 1T is the smallest n
ltary tarv tool box and the smallest l
olds- capable of Independent action. A la
e di- force could not we'll be administel