New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-12-08

suits improved mentally. morally and
physically By the training
Figures arc cited 20 prove the break
down of the Hay National Guard sys,
TEN, even in the face OF nationa.
emergency. which generally stimulates
recruiting instead of retardlng II.
con July 81. reports show says
General Scott, that 110,957 were on the
border and 40.139 IN state mob lizaton
camps, aggregsting ,096. lnis Ag-
gregate strength was deficient by 4,Os3
of the authorized minimum peace
strength and short var strength by
1880 men.
an eleven states from which com
plete returns arc az hand, 1880 officers
and men in the aggregate were on the
rolls al the date of call. OF this num-
Der, 1871, or a little over 10 per cent,
failed 10 report OF the remainder who
reported in response 10 the call, 4.385,
or about 20 per cent Of those examined
failed to pass the required physical eK-
animation.
From the two causes combined. 81
per cent Of the aggregate strength at
the date Of call failed 10 materialize a.
soldiers. BY these subtractions the
original aggregate was reduced to
l0,4s4 officers and men. To these were
added 1850 new recruits without for
mer service, making n iiLal strength
Of 1884.
Forty-three Per Cent Unframed
Making a comparison by percent
ages, about 81 per cent Of the hnal
strength were officers and men with
more or less former training m the
National Guard, and 80 per cent were
without former service or training.
These figures will probably hold good
approximately for the entire body OF
the National Guard.
When VIC consider that the National
Guard when called upon was obliged TO
take with it. at minimum strength, i3
per cent Of men without former service
or training, which. when u IS recruited
up to war strength OF $50 men 70
company, with its present state OF de-
velopment would amount TO 10 per cent
Of unframed men, and these command
ed By officers of very limited eXperi-
ence, the conclusion Is obvious that Il
is very expensive military system
which is no sooner called into service
than the department is inundated with
requests for the discharge Of indlyid
uals and Congress Is called upon 10
Udhe pIONioIoU ioI ldluIllto icAb DN-
hind.
Discharges from these and other
causes were so great that depart
ment commanders were authorized TO
provide three recruiting parties for
each regiment mustered into the ser
vice of the United States. These par
ties consisted of commissioned Of
fcer. a on-commissoned officer and a
private. and we're maintained At gov
eminent expense. The results. how
ever. we're 80 unsatisfactory owing 20
the lack Of recruits that orders have
recently been issued to the command
ing generals of several departments
authorizing them TO discontinue Ma
tional Guard recruiting service when
IN their opinion the results obtained
do not warrant its continuance.
This may be illustrated in the State
Of New York, in which the militia or
ganization was very much above the
average. From August 70 September
Is only 35l recruits were secured, at an
average cost necessitated by the keep
ing UP of recruiting parties Of $40
per recruit. This was the cost 10
merely get the man. The system
speaks for itself in dollars and cents,
which is readily understood by the
average man.
"In the State Of Massachusetts TWEEN
Is recruiting stations were estab-
lished; between August | and Septem-
Der % they enlisted only l89 recruits
Primarily the general investigation
will be confined TO foodstuffs and coal,
il is said, but if leads are uncovered
indicating that other commodities, such
as leather and clothing, are affected,
they will be followed.
At the outset, certain phases Of the
Investigation have developed interest
ing sidellghts, which have general
bearing on the situation. For instance,
it is thought that no small part of
the recent rise in coal prices was due
to the feeling among panicky buyers
that they would be unable to obtain
their usual supply.
Cases have been found, it was said,
where families which usually buy a
few tons of coal, had stocked their
cellars with suficien. for two or three
years, bought at top prices, thereby
contributing to the rise and diminish
ing the available supply for others.
In addition to information obtained
through governmental channels, officials
have consulted Independent economic
and financial experts, have studied the
currents of international trade, even
to the extent of ascertaining roughly
so far as possible, the amount of Amer
lean securities held abroad, and have
sifted a vast amount of statistical data
for facts remotely related to the in
quiry.