Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-03-26

nomically administered or attain that
efficiency which il ought to possess
unless four-fifths of the garrisons and
posts in the country are abolished. The
War College has estimated that saw
ing of about $5.500,000 per annum
would be made if the present mobile
forces were concentrated in eight
groups.
The act of May -. 1908. prescribed
that the organized militia should be
called into service in advance of the
volunteer force, thus placing the mill
tia second in rank to the regular army
in defense of the country. This was
one of the most fragrant pieces of folly
ever injected into the military legisla :
ton of this country The National
Guard is primarily state force: Its
training is confined largely to armory
drills instead of brief intensive train
ing, such as the Swiss or Australian
Soldiery receive.
1T cannot legally be employed out
side of the United States. and, worst
of all, constitutional limitations re
speeding its use are in conflict with
the basic principle that in time of
war the power of the nation ought to
be used despotically. Either the Ma
tional Guard must be taken wholly out
of the hands of the several states and
placed under the control of the gov
ernment or appraised at it's true value
and relegated to the third line of de-
Tense The value of organized force
of United States volunteers was dem
onstrated by the splendid body of vol
unteers created during the Philippine
insurrection under law of March
., 1899.
Such a force would he national and
not called out for police duty. 1t
would be organized for war and given
intensive training. There is no more
reason why the states should have in
dependent land forces destined to be
employed in national service in time
of war than that they should have
independent navies.'
AS military force for defense. Mr..
Huidekoper suggests a regular army
of 250.000 men. a reserve of the regular
army amounting eventually to 100000
troops. Il force of United States vol
unteers and an organized militia or
National Guard.
I'm order to ascertain the value of
the organized militia, let the President
call out the militia by proclamation"
he suggested. when the militia has
been assembled in the respective states,
let each officer and man announce
whether not he will volunteer for
war service. 1t could also be deter
mined how many are up to the proper
standard. and the whole undertaking
would scarcely exceed the cost of a
joint summer maneuver. The organi-
cation of all forces should be made
in time of peace and reserve force of
trained officers should be created thus
avoiding the trouble that Great Britain
has experienced.
eff military drill. hygiene and the
elements of rifle shooting were made
compulsory in every public and private
school, college anu university in the
United States it would simplify the
problem immensely"
Mr.. Huidekoper suggests. addition
ally, that there be one or two more
assistant secretaries of war, that all
the river and harbor work be placed
where it belongs. in the Department of
Interior: that the national parks and
reservations also be placed under this
department and policed by constab-
ulary instead of regulars; that the
United States have a colonial depart
ment with a cabinet officer at the head,
and the bureau of insular affairs placed