The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1917-06-02
ONE ARMY PROBLEM
HOW THE NATIONAL GUARD IS
TO BE MADE PART OF THE
NATIONAL ARMY.
1T MUST MEET REQUIREMENTS
No Political, Religious or Racial
ciiques Wanted--Many Of the Cav
airy Regiments May De Converted
Into Field Artillery.
BY EDWARD 9. CLARK.

washington.-Everyb in Wash
ington knows that the National Guard
problem has been vexing one for |
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 80 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 UNI
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 Sans troops.
but otherwise to all effects, purposes
and appearances they will be n part
of the regular army.
Unless, the Guard by volunteer en-
! listments is recruited to its fun
! strength prior to the time chat tho
/
/, state organizations as are not enrolled
In Its service, the provisions of the
| Hay bill for recruiting the Guard or
/ CARNATIONS will be foregone, and the
men needed to complete the quotas
! wilEbe chosen under the selCctive 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.
Many over CONSUMPTION Age.
As things are today there are many
men of the National Guard who are
over the consumption age limit. They
will stay where they are, but they will
go to the front with many youngster
in the train or more likely in the van.
So Il Is that hundreds of regiments
of the United States forces In the
field will contain men beyond the con-
scription age while other forces VIII
have no men in them, except some of
the officers, who have marched beyond
the milestone marked thirty-one.
The service on the border did much
for many of the Guard outfits, but
there are some of them which never
went near the border and there are al
so some of them which did not meas
ure up to their fellows in arms while
they were camping and drilling along
the southern lines.
The regular army authorities have
been disturbed by reports from here.
there and elsewhere that ambitious pO-
liticians and others were raising com
panies. regiments and even brigades
with the idea of Offering their services
en- massc. 1t was the intention of
some of these organizations, II 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 n 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.
In one of the middle Western states
somewhat remarkable picture has
been presented of brigade formation
In which the volunteers are all Repub-
leans. A Republican politician OF
some national note expected 10 CON-
mand the brigade, or the division.
whichever II was that he succeeded In
raising.
1t Is the desire of the Washington
authorities that there shall be In the
National Guard, as in the National ar.
my. what may be called mixed regi-
ments representing men OF all politi-
, cal parties, all employments In life
I and all grades of society, If we have
such I'm America, and as one suggests
possibility that there are none such
he can see foreigners smile.
Cavalry to Become Artillery.
It has been said that some of the
National Guard cavalry regiments, per
4 haps all of them, may be turned into
field artillery regiments. There Is not
much use for cavalry on the west
1 front In the present war, although OF
course there must be some cavalry foi
emergencies. Mounted troops wher
they are needed will be needed badly
Artillery. however, Is prime neces
sity. and as the troopers of the Ma
tlonal 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 bas'
and coming into battery"
The officers of the army watched
the various National Guard regiments
on the border closely. One Pennsyl
vanla infantry regiment, the Second
was by the direction Of the fedora
authorities turned into field artiller.
outfit overnight. 1t is far advanced
now in its drill and II probably will
go to France with one OF the early ex
petitions which the government send
10 the fighting line.
II such cavalry regiments of tn
Gard are given change of seryc
md of Weapons they need not WOrr