Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-11-16

, regarding the matter OF federal pay.
need only restafe II to this extent.
that ! am not now and never have
been In favor Of placing the enlisted
men and officers OF the National Guard
on the national pay roll as II they
were national soldiers. I have never
been opposed. and am not now, TO
these men and officers receiving rec
ompense for expense or compensation
for service. Their enlistment contract
Is with the state: their primary obi
cation Is to the state; and all the de-
tails Of recruitment. enlistment, train
ing, ETC., are In the hands of the
state; and ! think that the matter Of
compensation should come from the
state. As already indicated, I have
recommended almost 100 per cent
Increase In appropriations for the Ma
tional Guard. / am entirely favorable
to increasing this II necessary. can.
not see why. IL the state finds that II
can only secure the men or can secure
better results by paying them, they
should not Immediately proceed to do
So. when relieved, as / propose to re-
lieve them, from expenses which they
now pay.
In preparing the plan, was minded,
by what has been brought to my at.
tention constantly since have been
secretary of war and almost by all Ma
tional Guard officers that have dis
closed their state of mind to me, that
the real purpose which actuated the
majority of men in the National Guard
was the federal service; that the in
citing cause to most enlistments and
obtaining Of officers was the hope and
desire for federal service. And to the
extent that we could approximate fed
eral service, we would increase the
number and quality or the guard.
Having here an opportunity to offer
these men actual federal service, /
felt that In recognition Of their desired
and aspirations should do so. /
therefore proposed to enable. so far
as federal legislation can do so, any
member of the National Guard to come
into the federal service In the CONT
mental army in exactly the same po-
sition which he had attained In the
National Guard. My purpose In this
proposition. as has just been stated.
arose out OF my feeling that these
men, having devoted time and per.
sonai service at personal sacrifice, TO
military matters, with the declared
purpose OF fitting themselves for fed
eral service, should. in recognition
thereof and In fairness, be given an
opportunity at the first chance pos
sible to engage In the federal service.
II there is any legitimate reason why
this should not be done, wish that.
It would be brought to my attention
so that may consider it.
further propose to offer q similar
opportunity 10 any unit Of the Nation.
al Guard, 80 that, II 1t chooses, that
unit may come over and exist in the
coptihental army in the same organi-
zation as It was In the National Guard.
Further than this do not see how
1t Is possible how to go with respect
to what shall be- enacted into law.
With respect to whether organiza-
lions Of the National Guard shall have
historical traditions which they desire
to preserve, whether their existence
under the changed denomination could
be so brought about as to enable them
to perpetnate their historical continu.
iry anu other like questions, Il seems
10 me that such questions should be
settled by regulation or ruls and not
by legislative enactment. although ]
have no objection In my mind at this
time to considering any legislative en-
actment Of that character. In other
words. what i here propose is to put
In force the provisions of the recently
enacted volunteer bill respecting the
incorporation of National Guard or
CARNATIONS In the volunteer army,
with those provisions amplified to In
clude organizations higher than q regi-
ment.
The continental army Is to be OFF,
cered, aside from those that we obtain
as above Indicated, from the National
Guard, by members Of the officers Of
the reserve corps, provision for
which will be incorporated in the bill;
by retired officers Of the regular army
and by graduates or undergraduates
Of educational institutions having mil.
itary courses and other citizens who
have qualified themselves for such ap.
pcintment by experience or study or
both: these latter subject to such ex-'
aminations as the president may pre-
scribe. -
II has been suggested to me that It
would be desirable to make similar
provision for the new force to that
which is provided in the volunteer bill
with respect to the volunteer force,
namely, to have certain limited mum.
Der Of officers of the regular army, in
the discretion Of the president, com
missioned in each regiment or indie
pendent battalion. / have not definite
ly reached conclusion upon that
point and would like your views.
1t is proposed that all officers below
the grade of Northumberland shall
be commissioned by the president
without the necessity of receiving the
advise and consent of the senate, but
that all officers above that grade must
be commissioned after the action of
the senate. 1t is proposed, with re-
spect to promotion, that the principle
of seniority shall not be absolutely
adhered to, but that there shall be
some well-worked-out process of Sc
lection. Promotion will first be with