The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-06-26
MILITIA NEARLY AS
UNFIT AS IN 1898
Continued from First Page.

for n big order Of shoes. The Govern
ment paid. 1t is stated. $40 a pair for
shoes that had been selling at s2.65 to
s2.95. \ premium had to be paid be
cause nobody had foreseen that a big
lot OF soldiers shoes would be required.
the price went up.
In all Of the States within the De-
partment Of the East there has been a
shortage Of horses. There are plenty OF
horses in the country In spite OF the
steady drain TO Europe, but no authority
to buy horses had been given from
Washington until yesterday afternoon.
Delay In supplying equipment to the
militia organizations is due partly to
the fact that there are only three big
supply depots in the United States--at
Philadelphia. st. Louis and San Fran
cisco-whereas In regular army opin-
Ion there ought to be scores OF such
depots.
Time has been lost in untangling
knots. In getting acquisitions straight
cned out. II every militia regiment had
possessed In It's own armory a complete
equipment. gathered by experienced OIL
GERS. there would have been no such de-
lay as is now holding back needed regi-
ments from the border. Typical cases
here have been that of the Seventy-hrst
Regiment, which lacked blankets for tts
recruits Of the Fourteenth. which was
forced TO leave many men behind when
IL went to Peekskill because II hadn't
the equipment for them. and OF the
Sixty-ninth, which could not provide
equipment when the necessity arose OF
QUILTING several hundred new men.
Back in ,January-January 17-Gen
Aleshire. Quartermaster-General OF the
United states army. was questioned be-
fore the House Committee on Military
Affairs by Chairman May as to the ade-
auacy Of supplies and equipment for
regulars. militia and volunteers IN case
If emergency. Gen. Aleshire stated that
equipment had been secured "or could
easily be purchased In a short time" To
ft out all OF the regular army. all or
the militia forces and 100000 volun-
teers. The facts OF the present situation
don't bear out the statement made then.
II would he difficult 10 find q regular
army officer. any one who IL to-day wor-
rying over equipment problems. VINO
would admit that Gen. Aleshire's state
mert. We are pretty well prepared Tor
any emergency was anywhere near the
fact.
The wedding out process that must he
gone through before militia regiments
are sent from this or any other state 70
endure the rigors II active service i'll a
trying country are plainly worrying the
responsible officers. They have scanned
militia ranks with doubtful eyes. know
ing from long experience that when the
doctors get through comhing these ranks
there will be a Sensible thinn'ng out
There is fine material in the militia, hui
the regular experts know also that there
is ais, a lot of bad stun that cant sur
vive the rigid tests.
TIL. responsible officers look with APP
prahension on the evident disposition 70
appoint young. inexperienced and poorly
trained men to command in militia or
PLANTATIONS thai are apt 10 see deadly
service. There is too much Of a re-
Election Of the personal influence and
political methods Of the Spanish war
DAYS to sui, the men who think they
know what is coming in Mexico. They
can't help but foresec the time coming
when an officer taken raw from civil life
with nothing Of training save a few
LAYS In camp or in armor\. VIII IL
called uror 10 safeguard the lives 81
seventy or eighty men who can look onl'
TO him
In all of these cr,ticisms-criicisn
as to slowness Of mobilization, unfor"
seen emergencies. lack OF equipment, poo
material in the ranks-made by the of
Gers who must make the machine go !
II is To- go AZ all. there is not th'
slightest inclination TO hel.tte the wort
90 the militia. lheN say the sl'uHl"'
that exists Us not the fault NJ mill'l'
commanders or ~ militia soldiers. !
Is the direct result OF an Old politlcd
system Of tho past tas Iphed 30 ~
r National Guard orsanization) tn the r"
fusal Of the present Administration =
recognize the fact that the militia mish
have to be called ON and to It's entir
failure to understand that soldiers can
not he sent to the field overnight.
Any one who goes over to governor
Island and keeps his ears open will hea
very sincere words of praise for Ger
Organ n for ORyans suhordinat