Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-10-19
GENERAL SALE DEFENDS
VIRGINIA VOLUNTEERS
Report of Colonel Stern, He Saws.
Will Lead to Erroneous
Impressions.
DOES INJUSTICE TO MILITIA
All Organizations IN State Guard Be-
low Minimum Strength Will BE Re.
cruited Within Next Sixty Days.
Need Favorable Public Sentiment,

Recent comments on the annual re-
port Of Assistant Inspcctor-Gencral
10 Lane Stern. OF the Virginia Volun
te'rs, said Adlutant- General w. W.
! Sale last night. will lead TO erroneous
Impressions of the condition Of the
state militia. However unintcntional
II may have been the fact remains that
the organization has been placed In n
bad light before the public, and "A great
injustice done To the many efficient or
S"ni"aticns OF the Virginia Volunteers
While II IL true that a number of
oiSa niZat!ons are below the minimum
th's condition of affairs happens nc
riodiCilly owing TO the expiration of =
great number OF cnlistmcnts Ey ref
crencc 10 the report OF 1910, IL will be
found that eighteen out of thirty in.
fantry companies were below the min
imum strength, while with forty in the
state this year only nineteen have been
reported below the minimum. This, no
doubt. was occasioned by the same
causes.
All organizations or the Virginia
volunteers were inspected In January.
February and March of this year by
United states Army officers and ONLY
one company was refused Federal aid
Vigorous steps were At once taken to
nave the deficiencies existing In ,his
company corrected. and upon rciuspcc
ton Within sixty days by ar army Of
I hcer' ms company was passed as sat
lsfactory by the War Department"
The report OF the Assistant Tnsnec
tor-G"neral was received by The Nd
1utant-Gtncral Saturday. and steps Will
~ AZ once taken TO correct deficiencies
noted by the Inspector. \ careful anal
Nsis of the report, however. will show
All organizations well uniformed. armed
an" equipped. All organizations be-
low the minimum strength will be re-
To h.
ara within sixty days. and il is no.
Thought that there will DO much dit
hcuitE Tor them TO meet the require
NJ nis in that Sine, except in ono or
two Instances
In cases where organizations arc
unahl" To comply with thcs. REQUIRE
N"nts, they Will hc disbandcd ana new
companies organized to take their
places. The matters being directly un-
der the control OF recincn,ai con-
!nanders viii he taken up with hem
through the brigade commander. CEN
era! g. q. Vaughn.
here has been greater amount of
work required OF the men within Tho
past *iN years" General sale couiin
u'u' ana TINS nas had tendency to
refuge the numbers of those who are
NihnG TO perform practically only
hc'u"i service Social features have
oe"n almost entirely eliminated. and
-.
at lonal standards
There have been MANY improvements
instituted Within the past few wears.
among which may be noted the :ol.
lowing.
I'm" requiring OF weekly assemblies
"i companies for progressive. instruc-
ton ana drill. officers camps OF in
str"ciioh FOR the infantry. neld art:l-
!ct!. signal corps, and medical corps:
winter schools for officer. ana non
commissioned officers: the ordering OF
AL organizations into camps of in
atruct!on Tor periods Of from Digit 10
Ken days OF each year, the past year be-
ihS devoted particularly to rife prac-
ice when every man. before going
10 the State range, was required TO
qualify Oh the indoor range. and. not
withsiand!nS this stringent regula-
ton. about LOO officers ana enlisted
men qualified and attended the state
range: the giving OF service medals TO
encourage continuance in the Virginia
Volunteers; the requiring OF efficiency
reports on al officers: annual confer
cnccs of officers and heads Of DEPART
mcUts to discuss matters relating to
the welfare Of the militia; and n num-
beg Of local rifle ranges Installed at
company stations to encourage rifie
gl, tttar,