The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-06-27
NO FUNDS FOR MILITIA.
SOUTH CAROLINA REQUISITIONS
ARE REJECTED.
war Department WithhOldS Aid
Pending Adjustment Of Claims for
Lost Property and Mastering out of
Inefficient Companies.


Columbia, June 24.-Yesterday
there was received at the office of the
adjutant general the following from
Gen. A. l.. Mills, chief Of the division
Of militia affairs, United States war
department.:
ITO the Adjutant General of South
Carolina:
I'm letter dated June 16, 1914,
the secretary Of war advises the gov
ernor Of South Carolina, as follows
Referring to your requisition Of
May II, 1914, for ordnance and quar-
termaster supplies for the use Of the
organized militia Of your State, I re-
gret to inform you that in view Of the
failure OF the authorities of South
Carolina to comply with the federal
laws which govern the care, account
ability and disposition of government
property in the possession Of the or
ganiZed militia, the war department is
obliged to suspend further issues of
government property and funds to the
organized militia Of South Carolina.
and to withhold authority for the ex-
penditure Of government funds by
or for the benefit Of the organized
militia Of South Carolina until the de-
linquent matters are taken up by the
State and brought to satisfactory
settlement.
when the organized militia Of
South Carolina is placed on a salts
factory basis, the war department
will consider the withdrawal of the
restrictions Of which you are inform
ed in this communication and which
are effective on and after this date.
"Requisitions for quartermaster
supplies submitted on April "a and
May IL, 1914, and ordance supplies
submitted May IL, 1914, are, in ac-
cordance with the action Of the sec
retary Of war noted in the foregoing
paragraph, returned herewith. The
supplies asked for will not be issued.
by direction Of the secretary of war.
A. J.. Mills,
"Brigadier General, General Staff,
Chief Division, For the Chief of
Staff"
Col. o. w. Babb, assistant adjutant
general, was asked last night how, in
his opinion, the shortage arose to
which reference was made in the let
ter Of Gen. Mills and whether in re-
cent years any effort to reduce this
shortage had been made. Col. Babb
said he could not speak for other ad-
ministrations. Regarding the policy
pursued since he has been assistant
adjutant general, Col. Babb said:
THE shortage of property men,
toned in the letter of Gen. Mills has
been accommodating for years and the
present administration has made re-
peated efforts to collect the obsolete
PROPERTY.
During 1912 about 1900 old rifles,
a lot of bayonets, bayonet scabbards,
gun sings and other appurtenances
were collected and shipped to Rock
Island arsenal. During 1913 about
400 old rifles and carbines, a
lot Of old cartridge belts, cart
ridge boxes, bayonets, bayonet
scabbards, carbine Scabbards and cav
airy sabres were collected and ship
ped to Rock Island arsenal. There
is great deal Of this old property
In the hands Of some one now and it
should be turned in to the State
armory, so that the State may re-
ceive credit for it. 1 will state also
that during the present administration
great number Of the old blue uni
forms have been collected. AS stated
above, repeated efforts have been
made to recover this property and
with some success. The bulk Of this
loss occurred prior to the issue of the
new Springfield rifle and the olive
drab uniform about 1908 and 1909.
although some loss has occurred
since.'