The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1915-10-14
yERMoNrs NATIONAL GUARD
Because Of the Couniry's Small Stand
Ing Army the Militia of the States
Would be Needed In Case Of War.

Would be Needed In Case of war.
The Burlington Merchants Assoei'
alton gave over their recent regular
monthly meeting to the first Of
series Of meetings which are to b,
held by like associations all over the
State o, Vermont in the interests Of
the Vermont militia The meeting was
an unprecedented success, about l2C
members Of the association and invit-
ed guests sitting down TO dinner in the
main dining room Of the Van Ness
House al $3.50 o'clock Simon l.. Plat
ka, president Of the association, pre-.
sided over the after-dinner speeches,
during the course Of which authorities
on the subject 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 Adiutant-
General Lee S. Tillotson, who pointed
out some Of the reasons why the mil
itia should be supported by the bust
ness men Of Vermont. Assuming that
his listeners were convinced that the
country needed fully as much prepar-
alton for war at the present time as at
any time in the past, he pointed out
that the standing army Of the country
numbered $4,000 officers and men,
10000 Of whom were in the coast de-
fences and therefore stationary, which
leaves a mobile army Of 10000 A
little more than one-half of that num-
Der are scattered over the world, in
China, the Philippines, Hawaii, Alas
ka. the Panama zone and the like,
which leaves less than $4,000 in actual
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
l25,000 officers and men; which,
assuming that they are fully equipped
and properly trained, would bring the
national defense up to 100000 men.
In case of declaration of war it has
been estimated that from 100000 to
100000 men would have to be placed
in the field. Some way must be pro-
vided for the training of these men.
II 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 will
ing in many instances to allow the
members of the militia their time off
TO attend the State camp, which duty
they must perform if they are to
serve. Some employers are willing
to give the men the time to go to
the camp if they will use that 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 were given an oppor-
tunity to attend the State encamp-
ment, citing instances where large
corporations made a rule that every
man who wished to become a member
of the militia would have the time to
attend the encampment held each
year. In this way the business men
are given an opportunity to assist in
the building up Of the national de-
fenses.
Colonel II. T. johnson Of Bradford,
commander of the Vermont regiment
of militia, laid especial stress on the
need Of public sentiment to build up
the militia. The young men should
have every influence for joining the
State defense, the chief reasons for
the sentiment against the militia be-
ing indifference and ignorance. He
spoke of the evolution in the State
encampments which has come about
since the federal government has TAX
en- charge and made appropriations
for the instruction. At one time the
chief inducement to the young men
was that they would be able to strut
around the streets in a uniform and
attend the encampments, which were
then considered one general big hilar-
ious time with little real work. The
case is different now, however, the
men being put through IL hours OF
hard work during every day Of camp
life, with strict discipline. This has
tended to weed out those men who
went only for pleasure and the ranks
49,. -. ella ~. ,,aa., ..shn q 20 really