Arizona republican., 1914-03-02

not be conferred by congress upon the secretary of war and upon the Division of Militia Affairs by the secretary of war The definition of the word according is agreeing, harmonious agreeing to-
 The discipline prescribed by the states is agreeing to" that prescribed for the army. It goes as far in that | direction as possible without the ne- cessities provided the army for main-
 taining that discipline. It can go nd | farther and the contention of anyone l that the same discipline can be en- l forced, only shows an ignorance of i the subject The definition of the | word discipline" is mental or moral ! training; education subject to control; ! military regulation; chastisement; an instrument of punishment; etc. Dis 1 cipline as intended by the constitution did not mean training as that was reserved to the states. It very eVi- l dently meant the military law and regulation establishing the relative power, authority and status of the various enlisted men and officers. The discipline of the army is pre- Scribed by the articles of war which are applicable to and in force over the militia in time of peace, and con- stitute the discipline for the militia when in the service of the United States. The attempt of the war de- partment to interpret the constitu- ton by writing into tEe new militia law, discipline" (which includes training) clearly shows the stand taken by Generals Mills and Crowder. This has also been clearly shown by regulations promulgated by which the Division of Militia Affairs as sumes the right to prescribe the training for the militia. There can be only one greater injustice of gov ernment than an injustice prescribed by law and that is one prescribed by regulation. In a mOnarcny the king can do no Wrong," but in re- public a government is supposed to be by and for the people. not over the people1 It is evident that the framers of the constitution recogniZ- | ed the difficulties of militia service as they reserved to the states the | authority of training. Federal au thority over the training was not contemplated or conferred. and much l as General Mills may desire that it should be granted by congress. or in i spite of the fact that by regulations | he asserts it was granted, such a | grant could not be made without | violating the constitution of the l United States. The authority for l this training belongs to the states l and not the federal government. Local conditions must govern this | training and if one state, because of local conditions, can maintain 1 higher state of efficiency than an other. they have that privilege. I be- lieve that all of the states are doing the best that they can, under their own peculiar conditions, to maintain as efficient militia as possible There is absolutely no question but that the members of the National Guard expect and desire to enter the United States service in time of war. that they desire to be the first troops in the service after the regular army, and that it would be impossible to maintain state militia on any other basis. The foundation of the guards mans service is patriotism. He does not desire to be used as state police. He believes when he volunteers that he is rendering service to the federal government by fitting himself for service in time of war At the same time he cannot help but believe that he has intelligence enough to be a fit judge of the conditions of his service. All that there is in common between the army and the militia is drill and tactics. If a guardsman cannot learn these things in ten years he is worthless, absolutely. If ! he can learn them. then over the other requirements of militia service he is just as much better and com petent a judge as an army officer is better judge of the conditions of his service than a civilian.
 General Mills defends the regula- tions that have been issued from time to time, which have been unfair and unjust to the militia, on the grounds that federal control demands these regulations Always keeping in view the fact that the federal government to him means the regu lar army officers whose peculiar ! clerical ability furnishes them a po- sition at Washington. I believe Gen
 eral Mills to be sincere. in his belief | that congress has granted this au- thority. I believe that he is sincere 1, in his belief that such regulations | are necessary, and that it is his duty l to the federal government to force | the militia up to a certain standard | Because I criticize General Mills at ! his motives However. I do not be- | Ieve, it fair to require the militia i to meet the organization prescribed | for the army if the army cannot l meet it. This in time of peace. I recognize the absolute right in time of war.
 Since the property issued to the militia remains the property of the United States, great part of the apparent appropriations are not ap- propriations in fact The federal government loans the states this property in order that they may train men and have them uniformed and equipped for service to the federal government. The money that the federal government eXpends for camps. etc. is spent to train men officers to handle large bodies of troops The pay does not begin to be a just compensation to civilian