Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-02-02
Militia Representatives Make
Plea to the House Mill
tary Committee.
WANT TOTAL OF 265,OOO
IN THE STATES FORCES
Gen. Sadler Proposes National Guard
on Basis of 500 for Each Con-
gressional District.

military committee today arguments in
behalf of the recognition of the or
ganized militia as the main strength
| of the country's first line army. Gen.
| W. F. Sadler of the New Jersey state
force said that If Congress would pro-
vide for the organization Of the guard
on the basis of 500 men for every con-
gressionaI district the force would
reach a total of 265,O0o men on a peace
footing. which could be readily doubled
for war.
The guardsmen desired to be federalized
to the extent consistent with state uses.
he said. and were asking Congress for
annual help instead of the annual attack
to which the service had been subjected
in the past, he insisted, by officials Of the
War Department.
Pay of the Militia.
On the question Of militia pay. Gen.
Sadler said it was absolutely necessary
that the government pay for any In
creased service the guard might perform
in peace times On basis Of pay rang
ing from $500 year for major generals.
$3.50 for second lieutenants and $45 for
enlisted men. he said, the annual totaj
for such bill would be about $3,650.000.
An effort to determine what the pro-
posed continental army would cost. he
added. had produced no definite result.
Assistant Secretary Breckenridge had
told the committee, Gen. Sadler said,
that after it was in operation it would
cost s40,o0O.000 annually. while Gen:
McComb of the War College had said
it would cost ss2,o0o.00o.
Gen. Sadler insisted that guardsmen
went into the service because they be-
lieved they would be sent to the front
in case of war. If they were now su-
perseded by the continental army. he
added. he was certain he could not re-
tain 80 per cent of his own present
force ninety days.
Services of Guard Officers.
Chairman Hay Of the committee sug-
gested that Gen. Sadler place in the
record a detailed statement of the
services required of National Guard
officers.
when we go on the floor" he said,
I'VE will be asked 10000 questions and
we want to be prepared to answer
them"
Reverting to the subject Of federal
ization, Representative Wise asked
what the witness had meant by say
ing he favored federal control in so far
as was consistent with state uses Gen.
Sadler said he had been thinking of
legal limitations.
we want 10 De uHueF congress-, ne
said.
Gen. sad1er insisted that Congress
had full power now to control the Sc
lection of officers. training of troops
and forces to be organized in each
state. He objected. also, TO the term
militia pay in referring to such bills.
What was actually asked, he said, was
compensation for financial outlays that
officers and men were compelled to
make.
Opposes Change of Name.
The witness was asked what he
thought Of changing the name of the
National Guard.
Il have worked for years for that
name. National Guard" he replied,
energetically. and I don't want to
lose it. You give US the money and
just watch me. Well make 1t a real
National Guard"
Gen. Sadler estimated that il the Hay
militia pay proposals were enacted
| 100000 men could be added to the
guard in six months.
| Lieut.. Col A. q. Critchfield former
adjutant general of the Ohio National
| Guard. said there were four points to
| be worked out in any plan to increa sc
| the efficiency of the state troops, COM
| pensation. appropriations for greater
| field training. settled policy as to
the status of the organizati when
| called upon by the President and ad-
ministration of militia affairs in the
War Department by men familiar and
| sympathetic with the National Guard.
Difficulty in Recruiting.
Adjt. Gen. Dickson of the Illinois Ma
tionaI Guard and Col NJ J. Foreman.
commanding the 1st Illinois Cavalry.
both told the committee that the adop-
tion of any plan that obliterated the
personal equation between officers and
men. as the continental army plan
would do. would fail for lack of re-
cruits. Gen. Dickson said he was in
favor of liberalization of the guard
and by that meant that Congress
should exercise it's power to the full
to control and regulate the state
forces.
In common with other guardsmen
| who have testified he said he believed
liability for strike duty while an un-
doubted hindrance to National Guard
enlistment had been greatly overrated
by the War Department. He urged that
Congress would obtain vested right
! in the organization by putting money
into 1t, and could control it fully.
Gen. Dickson said he believed that
states should retain all rights to the
times, because this tended to build UP
state appropriation on basis of equi-
table cooperation for national defense.
He said Illinois alone would furnish
10000 men if the liberalization plans
went through.
Col. Foreman said that for the last
| few weeks he had come to feel that
he had been engaged in an illegiti-
| mate enterprise in his National Guard
service, because of the opposition now
presented to its expansion.
only the promise that we would be
in the first line In any war to come