Weekly journal-miner., 1916-04-05
NATIONAL GUARD ON BRINK OF
 DISSOLUTION
WAR DEPARTMENT SAYS HARRIS IS INCOMPET- ENT BUT HUNT REFUS- ES TO FIRE HIM.

PHOENIX, April 1.-In ;he face of a situation that may demand every citizen available for military service. Arizona is in the gravest danger of losing her national guard organiza- ton. Not only did the guard fail to measure up to the requirements oi the Federal law pertaining to the or ganized militia at the inspection just ended, but plans of the general staff to continue it as a separate State oI- ga1ization will have to be abandoned if the Hay bill, now before congress, becomes law.
 Generalization of the guard, apathy of its members toward the future of the organization and almost negligI- ble attendance at drills and thinning ranks are charged by the war depart ment to be due to Adjutant General Harris, who is held responsible for the present condition of the guard. For over two years the war depart Has DNNu NONNihOl Aluht to remove Harris, but in spite of re- pcated requests from the secretary of war, other members of the depart ment and experienced army officers, the governor steadfastly refuses 10 do SO. Now that Federal aid is appar ently about to be withdrawn. it is be- lieved he will still refuse to let Harris go and will let the guard pass out oi existence.
 The discharge by Adjutant General Harris of all the commissioned off cers Of Companies A and B, National Guard of Arizona, and the practical mastering out of four of the five companies in the Salt River valley at the very time when the guard may be needed almost any minute to take the field, is causing a storm of protes' from citizens of the capital. While apathy" and lack of interest" is given as the reason for the dismissal of trained officers and mastering ouI their commands at time when they are most needed, 1t is charged that this Is not the real reason. All of the officers discharged, it is said, had been frank to criticize the way the guard was handled at the time of the Cliff ton strike, and therein lies the groun, for their discharge Their names were placed on the unassigned list" a pro oeeding having no legal existence whatever and not even mentioned 1T the code. It is a new proceeding whereby an officer is as effectively re, lieved of his command as though hf had been removed for cause or haC resigned.
 The officers removed i'll this way were Captain (. V. Gulley, Lieuten- ant (. A. Shamhart and Second Lieu tenant B. A. Wilson of Company A: Captain E. J. Helsley, First Lieuten- ant Harold Briggs and Second Lieu tenant Harold Hess of Company E Companies A, B. and D, it is under stood, are to be mustered out and "reorganized."
 On Saturday, March 18th. the ad jutant general issued an order to all company commanders to at once re cruit their companies to war strength. Press reports to the contrary, this order was issued from the office of the adjuta1t general. without any in structions from the war department In less than week, on Friday. Marci 24th. the adjutant general notified the commanding officers of Companies \ and B that their names had been placed on the unassigned list Lack of interest" was assigned as the req son for this step. although Captain Gulley protested that he had 50 re cruits ready to enlist and who would meet at the armory that evening to sign their enlistment papers. The or der. however. was not rcscindcd.
 Requests and suggestions that Gov crnor Hunt remove Harris from the adjutant generals office have been re peatedly sent to Governor Hunt from the war department at Washington. but to all sucn the executive has turn cd deaf ear. On July l, 1914. Sccre tary Garrison wrote Governor Hunt in reply to an appeal for extension O. time to enable the guard to meet Fed cral requirements He told the gov ernor that the adjutant general wa9 totally inefficient" from a Federal standpoint, and hi1ted broadly at the remedy for the miserable condition Of the guard. which, nc said. would con tinue in its inefficient condition so long as Harris was aijutant general
 The controversy between the war department one one side dates back almost 10 the time when Harris. q sergeant in Company ( of Tempe was nameI adjutant general by Governor Hunt. He had at that time had ex pcriencc in the regular army as pri vate in a hospital corps, and had served with the national guard of California He has never been in command of d company.
 In 1914 the war department notified the governor that three companies had failed 10 meet Federal require ments and that Federal aid would be withdrawn. The governor asked for