Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1915-12-21
NATIONAL GUARD
| NON-POL|T|CAL,
| DECLARES SADLER
Advancement Purely on Merit,
Says Adjutant-0eneraI, An
swering Stockton.
CONTINENTAL ARMY PLAN
is NOT TO HIS LIKING
Does, However, Favor Bill for
Federal Pay for the
Guardsmen.
From a stan Correspondent.

&Fohi an sian Correspondent.
TRENTON, Dec. 21.-Politics has
been eliminated from the organization
of the National Guard. and every Of
ficer is required to go through four
years course OF training to fit him for
the position that he holds. said Adj
jutant- General Wilbur f. sadler, jr.,
today.
The adjutant- general has Just re-
turned from Washington, where he at
tended a meeting of the executive
committee of the National Guard As
sociatiou, which met for the purpose
of taking up the pay bill and other
legislative matters connected with the
National Guard. In the absence of
General Foster, of Florida, General
Sadler, who is vice. chairman of the
committee, acted as spokesman of the
guardsnen in their interviews with
congressman and senators.
Reply to stockton.
A statement issued by the adjutant-
general today on the result of his
4 visit to washington may be taken as
i reply to the criticism of the Ma
tional Guard by Captain Richard
Stockton, jr., of the Second regiment,
of this city. Captain Stockton thinks
the guard is overloaded with gold
laced officers chosen through social
and political influences rather than
upon merit.
The adjutant-genera declared him
self opposed to the proposed continen-
tai army plan advocated by the ma
tional administration, and was equal
ly emphatic in his approval of the bill
providing for federal pay for the
suardsmen. In statement given out
Tor publication General Sadler said;
$50 a Year for Enlisted Men.
''If the pay bill is enacted into law,
as proposed, it will give the officers
and enlisted men of the guard about
% per cent. of the pay now given to
those of similar rank in the army.
This would mean that tine enlisted
man would receive about $50 per year
for attending forty-eight drills of an
hour and a half each. provided he at
tended each one OF them. 1T would be
necessary for him 10 attend at least
twenty drills 10 draw any pay, and
he would be paid in proportionate
amount those attended between
twenty and orty-eight.}
1--WE interviewed about. fifty corr
sressmen and senator's and not one
of them seemed to think that the
continental army scheme was prac-
ticaI, and nearly all agreed that the
first reserve to- the regular army
should be the National Guard.
New Jerseys share.
IF the continental army is estab-
Iished by Congress. New Jersey would
have to raise 1900 men and officers
within three years. and these men
would be expected to annually give
two months of their time for three
years.
''Those of us who have been doing
everything within our power to make
the National Guard more efficient,
have seen it decrease in numbers be-
cause of increased duties, and we
know how hard 1t is to get recruits.
Few people reaiize that officers now
give three nights a week to their
labors and spend at least two weeks
in the field in the summer.
War Departments Objection.
"Tbe greatest objection that the
war department has to the National
Guard is that in case of trouble 1t
could not be ordered outside the
country to do duty unless ii volun-
teered. The president says we are
not likely to be involved In a war of
invasion, and what we want Is an
army for defense. No question has
ever been raised in regard TO the
right of the president to use the Ma
tional Guard for defense purposes.
"This leaves the only point to be
covered that of providing for the use
of the force IL called upon to do duty
without the borders of the country,
and, under the proposed bill, no one
would receive pay who does not on
ter into contract to do duty any
where whenever called upon by the
president of the United States. IL
the proposed pay bill is passed it
would greatly Increase efficiency and
taa1ras Ia m a i.,fa n, dispinline -