Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1916-11-11
THE MILITIA FiASCO.

At the first call to arms, the feder-
allied militia have rushed to the front
with designations,
We have not get had anything Ike
req, war; only little border pro
tecting duty along the Mexican from
tier. But It has shown one thing;
that the Hay bill and the militia as
at present organized are not the IN
swer TO the country's demand for a
first line Of defense on land
Reports from the war department
show tina. &j5 designations OF commits
stoned militia officers were accepted
in the brief period between July 20
and October %. This does not cover
the designations tendered-only those
accepted To get his resignation &C.
cepted an officer must show at least
some quite plausible reason, such as
bad health, falling eyesight or need
at home more important Than LOOKING
after business or taking care Of his
family. Doctors certificates and things
are necessary.
If SO designations have been ac-i
ceptet it is easy to guess at the num- !
Der rendered. The war department |
officers nave not compiled the data. !
nor do they feel at liberty TO say
much about it without permission |
from the secretary CT war. But Con-
gre=s will soon know all about il and !
Will have to be furnished with a full! |
list ef designations rendered and &C |
cepted Defenders and critics OF The |
Hay bill will have q right to Know |
just how its provisions have worked:
Evidently they have worked badly.
There is some excuse for the Ell |
listed men in the ranks wanting to get I
out and get home, because the pay o. |,
a private in the militia is not suf1. !
cient for man to support family or
dependent relatives But the pay i |
militia officers ordered to the front is |
the same as the pay Of regular army |
officers, and they have not the excuse
81 poverty. II
Another big difference between the |
xoa11aassioned and ,sn!isted.nen in the
guard is that the enlisted man. can't
resign" and the commissioned Off
Ger can. I =-z@
And theysf have evidently beensdoing
1t. These sspt,eten.l descended in
numberssen congfess and demanded
thatsstbe Ailitif be given the honor
of defending their beloved country
and incidentally that the pay OF pill.
!. tia officers. and the allowance. from
the federal government in funds, sup !,
plies and equipment be greatly in !
III I: = J. 81 |.
It was these officers who threw out
their CHESTS and assured the law
MAKERS that 4he militia .was entirely
competent. to do all the defending
that the country needed, and that |
there must be no continental army, |
or federal volunteer army. to usuro |
the proud functions OF the patriotic I,
militiamen.
Well, the opportunity came. The
men in the ranks went to the front. !
They went, in many cases, without
proper equipment, without shoes,
without uniforms, without horses, !
without ammuniton-and in some
cases, without food. The officers who
had been running the militia had
made away in some mysterious man.l
ner with millions OF dollars worth Of
federal government supplies. .-g
:. The enlisted men in the militia are
still on. the border, or have served |
their time there. But nine per cent /
Of their officers took the first oppor.
tunity to quit!
Congress is not likely 10 be i'm |
pressed with the record Of these 355
gold'faced gentlemenswhc took to the
tallStimbes as>-soen as they had the
first taste OF a dog tent and army
rations, even without the powder and
shot accompaniment Of real war.
Congress will be equally anxious to
learn the names Of the gentlemen
who tried to resign, but have not 81
far succeeded \!