New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-16
A DEFENCE OF THE GUARD
One Who Served at the Border Defends
His Organization
Tn the Editor of The Tribune.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: As a reader of The Tribune ! have
noticed a number OF articles condemning th"t
much abused organization, the NstIona'
Guard.
Chief among these are the statement oil
Senator Chamberlain and the letter OF by
stander."
Having lately returned from the border,
know how the boys feel about these articles
/ II is very discouraging to the 0O,OOO set OF
the border when reading the average paper
to find that instead Of receiving credit TOT
what we have done we are confronted WIN
column upon column of ridcuc and abuse.
Articles such as that of Senator Chamber
lain are read by great number OF people,
who, in their lack of any actual knowledge OF
the subject, are prone TO accept such state
ments as facts. In this respect this article
is an injustice to the National Guard, as 1t IS
not based on facts.
We ask no sympathy or undeserved credit
merely that our critics be held and governed
strictly by facts when discussing our EN-
cheney.
The Senator has said that regulars while
in Mexico have walked from 90 to 10 miles
day, and that National Guardsmen were un-
able 70 walk or 10 miles day without
dropping from the ranks.
Rot! Each organization in the United
States army forwards to the War Department
monthly record of events. | would refer
the Senator to said records for proof Of these
phenomenal marches.
During the "hike" in the latter part OF Au-
gust the company in which served numbered
seventy mon. or these we lost but four on
the thirteen-mile hike" from Sterlings
ranch TO Laguna Secca, and OF these four all
but one finished the hike, arriving in camp
but few minutes behind the organization.
On cur record breaking "hike" from Ster-
lng's ranch to McAllen, a distance OF
eighteen miles, We did not lose a man, and
every man was fully equipped.
For the benefit of the Senator I might add
that the seth New York Infantry while on
their cighty-mile hike" did not return one
man to the base hospital. The same is true
of the hikes of the I'd and 18th New York In
fantry, the 1st Cavalry and the 9TH New York
Infantry. who on one occasion after a hike
of eleven miles, rather than sleep in the rain
and mud, continued the march to McAllen,
twelve miles away, completing a march OF
twenty-three miles in far less than twenty
four hours.
While but six weeks from civilian life, we
conducted ourselves on the "hikes" in a man
ner equal to that OF the regular establish
ment.
When the sick reports Of the National
Guard and the regular" army are compared
as some day they will be- IL will be proven
that the percentage of cutters" is about
the same in both organizations.
"Bystander" in his letter quotes the Militia
Bureau of the War Department as saying:
1T is doubtful II organizations inspected
would ever become efficient under their pres
ent officers" And again: Generally speak
ing. the enlisted personnel was good ma
terisl." Still further: THE desire for re-
lease from the service became so extensive
that general rule of denial of such re
quests had to be adopted by the War De-
partment"
These few words explain the entire situa-
ton
II is admitted that the personnel Of the
Guard is of excellent material, but wasted in
the hands of incompetent officers. Why,
then, because Of these few officers, do they
propose disbsnding the entire organization
The applications for discharge which flooded
the War Department can be traced to these
same officers.
Why not then, when mastering the Ma
tiona Guard into the Federal service. replace
the officers with men from the regular army;
men who know how; men who would treat US
as men, and give us the same care, the treat
ment and food accorded the regulars? Then
the United States would soon nave an excel
lent organization and less applications for
discharge. LEWIS J. CULLEN
Former Mess Sergeant Company F, seth New
York Infantry.
New York, Jan. Q, 1917.