New Britain herald., 1916-03-24

would be the effect of this section upon a body of troops that we main- tain in the State of Texas, commonly called the Texas Rangers? It is a mounted constabulary, not confined by county lines, and we have used them to repel invasions from Mexico at times, and we have sent them all over the state. It is a body of state troops directly under the adjutant general of the state.
 Mr. Tilson. The answer of our frlend the chairman of the commit tee on military affairs to that ques- ton would probably be that those are not troops, but I do not wish to have any question of doubt left in regard to it. I should not like to have any rights heretofore conferr- ed by congress upon the splendid or sanitation in my state taken away by this section, especially when all it seems to do is to re-enact the con stitution by saying that no state shall keep troops in time of peace except as provided in this bill
 Mr. Hay. MT. Chairman, I am very much surprised at the gentle man from Connecticut (Mr. Tilson) The striking out of this section will weaken this bill. We are trying to federalize the militia. and the gentle man is trying to have a lot of organ izations in the state which will not come under the provisions of this bill. If we are goig to do this. let us do 1t, and do not let us put in provisions to strike out sections of the bill which will ena ble all kinds of organizations to be maintained m the different states. What we want tn Ir i- to o1ya is a provision in the bill that these ancient organizations which were raised before 1792 shall not be in. terferred with except in time of war, I think that is a bad proposition, and if anyone offers an amendment to change it I am. going to vote for it; but we have taken care to that ex tent of the organizations about which the gentleman is talking.
 MT. Tilson. But those are organi- cations that wish to come in under this bill.
 Mr. Hay That is true.
 MT. Tilson. But these organiza- tions of which I speak do not wish to come in.
 MT. Hay. All want to say is that under the law now, if they want to have some state troops that do not want to come in under the provisions of this bill, which are for parade purposes and social purposes, they can go ahead and do it; nobody is objecting to it. But if they are going to have militia of any sort it must be an establishment organized under the provisions of this bill.
 TiIson Amendment Rejected.
 Representative Caldwell stated that the army committee had considered the status of the Texas Rangers and the Pennsylvania consta bulary and de- cided that they would not be affected by the section above quoted.
 The Tilson amendment to strike it out was therefore rejected by the house.
 Representative Hill got into the dis cussion of the Hay bill and had a colloquoy with Chairman Hay of the military committee regarding the status of the national guard under the bill. The colloquoy throws some light on that question. It was as follows:
 Mr. Hill. I want to vote for the bill, and intend to do so, and would like to vote for a good deal more than this. I want to vote understandingly, and l would like to ask the gentlemen question.
 Mr. Hay. Very well.
 MT. Hill. Would not the passage of this bill destroy the present state mill itia?
 MT. Hay. I do not know what you mean.
 MT. Hill. I mean, force out from the present state militia every person who is not willing to take this double nb sar h inns n requirements of a draft by the presi- | dent of the United States in case of | war? Mr. Hay. That is true.
 MT. Hill. That is the intention of 1 the bill?
 My understanding of it since the l gentleman's explanation is that the 1 general militia force of the United 1 States is between the ages of eighteen 1 and forty-five, but they are organized with this double obligation to the Ma tfonal government. Am I correct?
 MT Hay. You are correct in so fa1 as that when any of the unorganizec militia provided for in section p un dertake to become organized militis they must be organized under the pro visions of this act,
 MT. Hill So that there can not b, i any organization of any militia fore, l whatever by the state unless it is mad, under the provisions of this act?
 MT. Hay. That is right.
 MT. Hill. And they simply have tn,
 material between eighteen and twen | ty-fiVe years?
 r. MT. Hay. That is right
 MT. Hill I am for it with that un
 derstanding.
 George P. Chandler and wife o
 Hartford are visiting Washington.
 Horace Hill Lockwood, formerly 0
 NOrWalk, Conn.,, died here yesterda
 aged seVenty-seven. Moving to Gin I cinnati as a bow he oreanized a coD,