Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-09-30
VERMOM1's NATIONAL GUARO
Speakers Say Its High Efficiency
Should Be Maintained.
Because Of the COuntry's Small stand
ing Army the Militia Of the states
would He Needed in Case
Of War. .

last evening to the first OF series OF
meetings which are to be held by ike as
sociations all over the State of Vermont
in the interests OF the Vermont militia.
The meeting was an unprecedented sue
cess about 100 members of the association
and invited guests sitting down to dinner
In the main dining room of the Van Ness
House at $3.50 o'clock. Simon L. Platka,
president of the association. presided over
the after-dnner speeches. during the
course Of which authorities on the sub
ject Of the State militia brought out many
points OF Interest which are not generally
known to the laymen of the State.
The first speaker was Acknowledgement
Lee S. Tillotson, who pointed out some OF
the reasons why the militia should be
supported by the business men of YER
mont Assuming that his listeners were
convinced that the country needed fully a s
much preparation for war at the present
time as at any time in the past. he point
ed out that the standing army of the coun-
try numbered 10000 officers and men, $1,000
of whom were In the coast defenscs and
therefore stationary. which leaves a mo-
bile army of $4,000 A little more than one
half of that number are scattered over
the world, in China, the Philippines, Ha-
wall, Alaska. the Panama zone and the
like. which leaves less than 5000 in ac-
tual defense Of the United States, which
number is about twice the size of the
police force Of the city of New York
There are in the organized militia $4,000
officers and men; which, assuming that
they are fully equipped and properly
trained, would bring the national defense
In Of
ton of war it has been estimated that
from 100000 to $4,000 men would have to
be placed in the field Some way must be
provided for the training Of these men. 1t
is for the business men and all others to
think the proposition over and to find a
method Of best using the material we
have. 1t has always been the policy Of
this country to depend upon its militia
not In the sense of the organized militia
Of to-day but on the citizen soldiers who
are ready to fight but who must be
trained
The great difficulty In the success of
THE militia Of the State Is to keep the
men in its ranks, which may be partly
due to the lack in its personnel, but
which is largely accounted for by the
fact that the employers are not willing
In many instances to allow the members
of the militia their time off to attend
the State camp which duty they must
perform II they are to serve. Some en-
ployers are willing to give the men the
time to go to the camp If they will use
that time as their vacation, which Is not
always what the young men desire to do
with their vacations. General Tillotson
made special point of this feature and
asked the employers to see that their
employees We're given an opportunity to
attend the State encampment, citing in
stances where large corporations made
n rule that every man who wished to
became member Of the militia would
have the time to attend the encamp-
ments held each year In this way the
business men are given an opportunity
to assist in the building up of the ma
tional defenses.
Colonel H. 7. Johnson of Bradford,
commander of the Vermont regiment OF
militia laid especial stress on the need
of public sentiment to build up the mill
tia The young men should have every
| influence for joining the State defense.
the chief reasons for the sentiment
against the militia being indifference
ton in the State encampments which
has come about since the federal gov
eminent has taken charge and made
appropriations for the instruction. At
one time the chief Involvement to the
young men was that they would be able
to strut around the streets in a uniform
and attend the encampments, which We're
then considered one general big hilarious
| time. with little real work. The case Is
| different now, however, the men being
put through T. hours of hard work dur
| Ing every day Of camp life. with strict
discipline This has tended to weed out
those men who went only for pleasure
and the ranks have been Allied by men
who are really interested in the mill
tary In closing, the speaker gave it as
his opinion that a compulsory term be-
tween the age of IS and % would be a
great benefit to the young men of the
State.
Captain l.. J. Bond. United States in
spector-instructor of organized militia in
Vermont, was the next speaker and he
paid fine compliment to the militia as
he had found II In the State. He told Of
the benefits of the miitrry life to the
young men Of commu ity who during
such training would receive an educa-
ton which would help in business life
later. Much depends upon the personality
and magnetism of the captain OF COM
pany, who in turn needs the support of
the community back of him. We do not
know when we may have a call for trained
men who must have the military knowl-
edge If we are to win.
Captain Ira L. Reeves. who for the past
three years has been military instructor
at the University Of Vermont, spoke in
detail Of the militia, giving the men an
idea Of its real working force in the state
There are companies at Rutiard, ST. Al
bans two in Burlington, ST. Tohnsbury.
Bellows Falls, Mortified. Winooski.
Montpelier, Brattleboro, Springfield and
Newport, besides the headquarters COM
pany and supply company The compa-
may be swelled to $50 men in war times.
There is also the LIST Vermont cavalry at
Norwich University and the attached
sanitary troops, Captain Reeves then in
a very witty vein introduced the various
officers of the National Guard present,
President Benton was the last speaker
and he took occasion to pay Captain
Reeves a high compliment on the work
which he has done while at the University
and the results he obtained. He stated
that the university was sorry to lose Cap
tain Reeves and hoped that he would make
the college buildings his headquarters
while he was in Vermont, which the
speaker hoped would be as long as he