The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-01-31
TO Provide Federal Pay for
State Troops When They
Are onsActive Duty. 4
! !, tsrreiAl 10 INs .sLseNAn,a

sWASd4NGlON,- u. ", Jan, SU--
Members of the West Virginia mill
tia, particularly its officers, have rea-
son for congratulation that Congress
appears willing to provide federal
pay for state troops when on active
duty, whether at the annual ,encamp-
ment or in the drill halls Of. the yari-
Gus commands. The Senate commit
tee on military affairs has reported
favorably bill to this end, and
there is every reason to believe that
the Senate will pass the measure.
The House, 1t is ( understood. is
friendly to the bill, and as It is sup
ported with equal sincerity by Repub-
licans and Democrats alike, 1t would
have. standing in the next Congress
even should # fail to get through ip
the course OF the present session.
Congress. IL not the president, is will
ing to add. to our military strength,
and this bill is part Of its general
plan.
Army men here, who are interest
ed with the militia in the passing OF
this legislation believe that some
changes will be made in the meas
ure before its final passage, but they
are strong in the belief that in most
particular, It will go through as It
has been framed. In brief, this leg
islation, which has, finally attained
the position OF vantage, provides
that national guardsmen-office
ana men shall be paid by the feder-
al government for the actual time
they spend in military work. !. The
enlisted men will probably be paid
twenty-five per cent OF the pay Of
the men Of their rank In the regu-
lar service. The officers will be paid
a smaller percentage of the nay OF
the regulars of the same rank, but
the amount will be sufficient tot I'M
duce men to serve the states in the
ranks Of the guards. The fact that
they are paid will bring them unde.
stricter discipline and stronger con-
troll In military matters.
Eject Is Desired.
A national organization Of all
,guardsmen has worked consistently
and properly to put this measure on
the statute books. The amount OF
the pay which the men would get
entered into the matter very. little.
The guard officers know that II Uncle
Sam should become in part a. pay
master he would in effect have a
much larger control over the guards
men and that the discipline, the drill
and the military servicesgenerally of
the national guard would be vastly
improved. i;s ~ Il.
The officers and the enlisted mca
of the national guard have given.
their services gratuitously. In Wash
ington, the headquarters Of the
militia division has been earnest In
its support of the measure which has
finally ben given to the Senate
backed by a unanimously favorable
report from the committee on MILL
tary affairs.
Under the provisions Of the meas
ures, guardsmen will be paid for the
time that they spend in drill. The
man who does not attend drill will
not get his pay. Regular army Of
ficers and guardsmen alike have
urged that nearly allsmen. when they
are paid to do thing-no matter
how small the pay may be--feel
an obligation in doing 1t. They be-
lieve that drill attendance will be in-
creased largely, that discipline III
be better. and that interest will be
keener in the guards, work and that
this will come from knowledge OF
the fact that. as payment is intended,
the men must do something to earn
the money. Intact. he will probably
much more than earn 1T, but the
thing is to make him feel the obli-
Change Sentin,ent
In the past there was great oppo-
sition to the. legislation which the
Senate has now before. It. It has
ben urged that 1t would lead to q
great standing army. The objection
seems to 10 have been overcome
largely by the progress Of events.
LOST
4 nlns