The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1914-05-08
INTEREST in
VOLUNTEER
army BILL


hqudl obanulng WIN Regular
Army Forces.
The Volunteer Army Bill which be-
came a law on April "a differs in many
essentials from the Hay Volunteer Bill
which passed the house early in the
year or the Chamberlain Bill which was
being considered by the senate com.
mittee on military affairs when the
Mexican crihs caused the President to
ask for a conference to insure the early
passage Of satisfactory legal pro.
vision for raising volunteer armies.
There has been an unusual amount of
local interest in the measure since il
touches very intimately the future
careers Of all officers Of whatever grade
in the army, aud there has been much
local press comment ON the bill from
the meaeer Information contained in
copies Of the Hay and Chamberlain
bills.
The bill as finally agreed on in CON
ference was a compromise between the
senate and the. house, there being a
recession by the house on three Of the
amendments put into the bill by the
senate and recession by the senate
Of four Of It's amendments. There was
also an entire rewriting of two import
ant features. /.
The important and distinguishing fea-
lures Of the new volunteer bill are;
Any volunteer organization recruited
up to three-fourths of its strength may
be taken into the service by the Presi-
dent regardless of the militia regiments,
The present law requires the President
to exhaust the militia of the States be-
fore accepting volunteers.
The President gets control Of the ap.
pointinent Of officers Of the Volunteer
regiments, which has heretofSe been
vested in the governors Of the respec-
tive states.
1t changes the periods Of enlistment
from two years, as it is in the existing
law. The volunteer enlistments will be
the same as in the regular army. II
makes the volunteer army the counter
part Of the regular forces, requiring
that they shall be Differed and equip.
ped on the sanie basis BIS tkeregnlars.
Design Of the Measure.
The bill provides for the raising Of
voluntary forces Of the United States
in time of actual or threatened war. =
The measure is designed to obviate all
the trouble that was encountered at the
beginning Of the war with Spain when
strife among volunteer organizations
for assignment and the political infh-
ence exerted interfered materially with
the work of getting the volunteer army
in workable shape.
Under the bin the President may call
out the volunteer army by proclamation
and disband il as soon as peace is
formally declared. The bill provides in
accordance with an amendment put in
by the senate, that the term of enlist
ment in the Volunteer forces shall be
for the same as that for the regular
army, exclusive of reserve periods.
The President is authorized to make
the necessary regulations for receiving
the men into service and to select the
necessary officers. The bill provides for
an appointment among the States Of
the enlistments in proportion TO popu-
lation.
IL provides also, in accordance with
an amendment put into the bill by the
senate and agreed to in conference af.
ter some modification, that Hswhen
three fourths of the prescribed minimum
enlisted strength of any company, troop
or battery, or when three-fourths Of the
prescribed minimum enlisted strength
Of each company, troop. or battery com
prised in any battalion shall volunteer
and. be accepted for service in the vol
unteer army such organization may be
accepted for service as the volunteer
forces in advance of the raising of other
organizations Of the same arm or class
from the same state.
Regulations for Volunteers.
The bill practically makes the yolun,
teer army subject to the regulations
that govern the regulars, The President
receives absolute. authority for making
an organization of the forces into bri
gades and divisions regardless Of State
lines. The identity of the volunteers
will be lost as soon as they enter the
service. 4. .Ei,lis Il
The officers are TO be appointed by
the President. not for particular or
CARNATIONS but for the arm of the ser
vice subject to assignment for service
by the war department.
The bill provides that no appointment
shall be made under the act above the
grade of colonel. The number of staf
officers to be appointed under the bill
shall not exceed one for each 200 en-
listed men.
Volunteer ehaplains may be appointed
in the ratio of one for each regiment
Tho President may accept the recon
mendations of Governors in appointing
officers or may take them from thu
regular list or from the militia in the
States. Appointments are 10 be made
ON the basis Of population, and az fal
as practicable fromthe localities whene'
the troops come. &4'. tsa
Preference for Veterans.
Preference is given in these appoint
ments TO men who have had HONORABLE,
service In the regular army, militia o.
volunteer service Preference is alst