Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-06
ACTS OF ENGLAND
TERMED P|RAT|CAL
CONTINUED from First Page.)

dergo a lengthy course Of camp train
ing before they would be ft for Held
service. The shrinkage from the paper
strength would be caused by failure
of thousands to pass the rigid physical
examinations required by army service:
thousands of others would fail to vol
unteer. as they did in the spanish war.
or over the age for effective military
service.
my statements about the inef1iciency
of the National Guard are not based
on hearsay or personal opinion. What
] say is based on the reports OF the
War Department
Maj. Gen. W. w. wotherspoon, for
mer chief of stan of the army: in his
report published. said of the National
Guard:
"'Only s1.o7 per cent of the total re-
ported strength of officers and men OF
the organized militia attended the an
nua1 Inspections; only 1887 per cent OF
officers and men attended the camps of
instruction: that the number of men
who had any practice with the rifle
during the target season 1913 was 52;5S
per cent. and that the number who
qualified as second-class men or better
was 33.43 per cent.
Not All Regular at Drills.
1.-The requirements of the regulation
are that units of the organized militia
shall have, at least twenty-four, drills
of one hour each per annum. Reports
indicate that while In a majority Of
states these requirements were fully
met as regards the organizations, yet
In a majority Of organizations there
were a number of enlisted men who
failed to attend twenty-four times for
drill and instruction during the cal
endar year 1913. The total number SO
falling to attend during the year 1913
was 37.S74 men out of total of lis, 0s7.
There is no indication of the num-
Der of practice marches held by the
units of the organized militia during
the year. and it is believed to be a
safe conclusion that not single unit
at it's maximum strength marched a
distance of ten miles fully equipped
and armed.
THE above figures, taken in con-
junction with the fact that the number
Of companies. troops, batteries, etc, is
1000. and that of this number 1,120 or
CARNATIONS are below the prescribed
minimum Of strength. would indicate
TO degree the dependence to be placed
upon this force
AS to the material necessary to put
this force into the field and maintain
IT there for period of six months,
there is a very decided deficiency in
there are but $50 horses available for
the use in drill and instruction of the
cavalry: which aggregates 1910 officers
and enlisted men,. The deficiency in
greater than that Of the cavalry. There
are no animals for the signal or SAM
tary troops. AS regards wagon trans
portation the militia as now organized
IS deficient 1884 wagons. Should the
militia be assembled into divisions and
separate brigades, the deficit would be
1896 wagons. There are no draft ami
mails available. These deficiencies in
material are very important, inasmuch
as they must be supplied before the or
ganized militia forces can be made
available for field operations.
"As regards field artillery material
Tor the organized militia, should this
force be called into service with its
present number Of batteries. the total
amount of ammunition necessary there
for. would be 100000 rounds Of g.,
erase of 5000 rounds per gun.
which is equivalent to the best stand
ards OF supply of this character Of am
pletely equip the proper number Of
batteries for the twelve militia divi-
sions. including the auxiliary divisions,
there would be required in addition to
materials now in the hands of the or
ganized militia. 315 field guns and
1ss22.3s4 rounds of ammunition"
Practically No Reserves.
In Gen. wotherspoon's report, rec
ommendation Is made that 100000
mobile organized national guardsmen
are necessary for adequate national de-
Tense of this country. This included
active guardsmen with the reserves
of the guard. There are practically
now no National Guard reserves The
reported strength Of the National
Guard is 127,410 officers and men. Al
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