Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1917-12-01
State Guard Is Eliminated
In The New Army Plan

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branches, as well as those now in the
National army camps, want to see the
most efficient fighting machine pos
sible. Army experts devoted most
earnest study and thought to the reor-
ganization. They think they have per-
fectcd an organization which has no
superior as a fighting machine.
| In the reorganization New York's
! Guardsmen have suffered disintegra-
| ton. For instance, the men of the
FIRST New York Cavalry and Squadron
A fnd themselves today mere dough
boys" as in the past they termed the
infantry. They are bidding final fare
well to their horses, and the parting
Is sad one, for many of the former
cayalrymen have had the same mounts
for several years.
The officers and men of the old First
Cavalry are being split up among
three units. The One Hundred and
Sixth Machine Gun battalion will claim
900 of the enlisted personnel and the
One hundred and Second Trench Nor
tar battery, the first of its kind to be
organized in this country, takes One
Hundred and Eighty One The One
Hundred and Second Ammunition
Train will also claim number of Off
GERS and men of the old regiment.
Squadron A, too, has lost its mounts
and the organization Is now the One
Hundred and Fifth Machine Gun bat
talon.
In the Spartanburg camp of the
Twelfth and Seventy-first regiments,
there are not enough men left to make
decent sized company. The historic
commands have been drained of
their men that more fortunate regi-
ments in the first line might get their
war quotas.
In some Instances units from two
states have been combined or are
about to be thrown together. These
are extreme cases, and they tend to
stir up even keener resentment than
the combining of units within O single
state.
Missouri Protests.
The Fourth Missouri and Third Kan
sas furnish striking illustration.
Both of these regiments were below the
strength required by the new organiza-
ton. Both contained large number
of veterans.
When 1t was decided to combine
them, Missourians Immediately rose
and protested the case In person to
Secretary Baker, pointing out the In
Justice to both states and the damag-
ing effect on the morale of the officers
and men.
He said this was true, also, of the
Second Missouri, which was slated to
be carved up and transformed into ma
chine gun battalions.
Governor Gardner used all of the ar
guments he could muster, but wound
up by declaring emphatically that If
the government could not do other
wise Mr.. Baker could count on Mis-
souri, supporting him and doing its
duty to man. This case has not
yet been finally disposed Of, but 1t is
entirely probable that Governor Gard
ner will lose.
Mr.. Baker personally regrets the
necessity for breaking up state units.
Ohio, his own state, has some crack
regiments, and the Buckeye state is
being treated exactly as every other
state. The first consideration Is a
one. The government wants
the best possible military machine and
only efficiency was considered In per-
fecting the organization plans.
After the War.
If there are any definite after-the-
war plans for the National Guard
they have not been revealed. Mill
tary experts who discussed the matter
declaTed that after the war the Ma
tional Guard naturally will revert to
Its status under the national defense
act, which was passed with view
to federalizing the Guard and max
ing it more responsive to national au-
thority.