Judsonia weekly advance., 1917-06-06
HOW THE NATIONAL GUARD IS TO BE MADE PART OF THE
 NATIONAL ARMY.
IT MUST MEET REQUIREMENTS
No Political, Religious or Racial cliques Wanted-Many of the Cav airy Regiments May Be Converted Into Field Artillery.
By EDWARD B. CLARK.

pTODIeIn mas been a VeXlng one TOT the war department to solve. Some of the regiments in few of the states never have been efficient and probably never could be made efficient under state control so long as indifference to the service continued in some places to prevail. The government Is going to take over at first only such of those National Guard regiments, not already federalized, as have met with all the requirements of the law in equipment, numbers and efficiency.
 The National Guard regiments un- der the present plan-under the law. in fact-will continue to wear the badge of state service when they be- come part of Uncle Sam's troops. but otherwise to all effects, purposes and appearances they will be part of the regular army.
 Unless the Guard by volunteer en- Hstments is recruited to its full strength prior to the time that the federal government takes over such state organizations as are not enrolled in its service, the provisions of the Hay bill for recruiting the Guard or ganizations will be foregone, and the men needed to complete the quotas will be chosen under the selectfve con- scription rule. This means that when the United States takes hold of the task of filling the regiments no man over thirty-one years of age will be added to the forces.
 The regular army authorities have been disturbed by reports from here, there and elsewhere that ambitious po- liticians and others were raising con- panies, regiments and even brigades with the idea of offering their services some of these organizations, If means could be found to do 1t, to enter the National Guard. The desire of Wash ington has been that the National Guard should be recruited in way to prevent the entering into 1t of cliques or sets of men whose binding tie was political, racial, (other than American) or even religious.
 Cavalry to Become Artillery.
 It has been said that some of the National Guard cavalry regiments, per haps all of them, may be turned into field artillery regiments. There is not much use for cavalry on the west front in the present war, although of course there must be some cavalry for emergencies. Mounted troops when they are needed will be needed badly. Artillery, however, is a prime neces- sity, and as the troopers of the Ma tional Guard know horses and know how to ride them, they will be espe- cially useful in artillery outfits which use horse power for changes of base and looming into battery"
 The officers of the army watched the various National Guard regiments on the border closely. One Pennsyl- vania infantry regiment, the Second, was by the direction of the federal authorities turned into a field artillery outfit overnight. It is far advanced now in its drill and 1t probably will go to France with one of the early ex- petitions which the government sends to the fighting line.
 If such cavalry regiments of the Guard are given a change of service and of weapons, they need not worry much about delay in sending them to the scene of action. All they will have to do is to learn their new duties quickly, and then they can rest as- sured that with their field guns they will be put on ships and sent over- seas.
 Sure of Early Participation.
 Within the next few weeks the regular army Is to be raised, if the volunteer method can compass it, to its full war strength of nearly 300,O00 men. If the volunteering shall fail, conscriptive methods will be used, but the end will be the same and the regular force will have thousands upon thousands of men greener than any Guardsman who has had the state soldiers training.
 therefore, with the regulars and on equal terms with them, probably will find themselves on the first line of the nations offense. The one qualification necessary is to say that application Is only to those Guard organizations that are fully recruited, that have met with the approval of the federal authorities and that saw service on the border. Almost unquestionably the federalized Guard will find itself at the front as quickly as the regulars except for those few seasoned regiments of the standing army which probably will be sent into the fight quickly.