The Washington times., 1915-04-23
NEW CONGRESS MAY
REORGAN|zE MILITIA
Present State System Of Organ
izing Guard Thought To Be
Inefficient.

One of the questions to be raised in
Congress next winter in connection with
the proposed reorganization of the mill
tary system of the United States will be
whc<her to put the militia under the
General Government. and thus do away
largely, II not wholly-with the pres
ent system Of organizing the militia by
States.
The idea that the present State sys-
tenn of organizing the militia should be
abandoned and a Federal, system sub
stituted has been urged repeatedly.
Few trained army men question that
much more efficient system than the
present one would be thus obtained.
The present State system is full of Ge-
fects. many of them obvious. many of
them not so obvious. Under II has
grown up the national guard, a force
which, while In somo States 1t Is in eX-
cellent shape to take the field, on the
whole has many shortcomings. and in
case Of war would have to undergo a
lot OF reorganizing before At for hard
battles and strenuous campaigns.
Uniformity OF organization is I'M
possible under the State system. Pol
itics is wont to creep into the ma
tional guard organizations OF the
states. Officers are elected through
considerations which are too often
merely political; In recent months
guard system have been freely aired.
Tho7~ who know the guard best know
II is not the personnel that is de
ficicnt because on the whole the guard
organizations OF the country are filled
with men who stick to the guard I'm
spite of drawbacks and difficulties
simply hecaJse they have the natural
liking for soldering that makes for
good fighting men the wor Id oyer.
- n ka
directed by Congress next winter t.
a plan proposed by Mai. Gen. Willian
II. Garter. now in command in Ha'
waii.
eral Government instead of a guart
organized by States. He would have
one infantry regiment Of militia or
ganizsd in each Congressional district
In districts where the population wa!
sufficient. he would have additiona
forces organized, thus making up &
force of artillery. cavalry, engineers
and signal corps troops.
One infantry regiment to each Con
gressional district would mean over 40
infantry regiments in the organized
militia alone. He would have the regu
lar army increased to l25. 600 men, anc
also reserve system. 1t Is calculateC
that under this system the countr!
for war. With such force, properly
armed, no country in the world woulc
attack the United States,
General Carter has worked out man,
details of his plan. For one thing. h
proposes to have the men who volun
teer for enlistment in the Federal guarr
we'll paid. In all respects, they would
be drilled. organized, and equipped VI
to the regular army standard. To eacf
regiment of the Federal guard there
would be attached regular army Of
ficer, who would serve as drillmastel
and instructor for the volunteer of
ficers.
General Carter is the man who Is
largely responsible for the present
general stan law. When Elihu Roet
was Secretary of War he consulted Car
ter freely and was largely guided by his
advice. Under the circumstances. his
advocacy of a plan for Federal guard
is quite certain to receive more than
casual attention by members OF Con-
sress and especially by the members OF
the military committees.