The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1917-01-11

ing and discipline of the national
guard, and for the first time in
the history of this country the con-
stitutional power of congress to
provide for the defense of the
country in the manner contem-
plated by the trainers of the con-
stitution was exercised.
The mobilization of a greater
portion of the national guard for
Mexican border service took place
before any provision of this new
law could become operative, and
the fact that large percentage of
the militia troops are still in the
federal service makes it utterly
impossible for any one to reach
any conclusion as to the results
that can be obtained under this
act.
The average regular army Off
Ger is disqualified by training and
environment from intelligently
considering the best methods of
raising an army fcitizen soldiery
or to appreciate and solve the
problems that are met in civil life.
Officers of the army who have
been on detail as inspector-instruc-
tors of the national guard of the
several states and who have had
an opportunity to gain first hand
information are frank to admit
that regular army ideas and meth
DDS are suited only to the regular
army and cannot be made to ap-
| ply to the average young American
in civil life.
Officers of the general staff of
the army and the various bureaus
of war department who have spent
| the greater part of their lives in
the army service cannot compre-
bend why every young man is not
eager and willing to enlist in the
regular army, or why the national
guard cannot be subjected to the
same rigorous discipline and au-
thority, and why army laws and
regulations are not applicable to
every phase of the national guard
or volunteer service.
Their criticism of the national
guard condition as have heretofore
existed is largely based upon the
fact that the national guard meth
DDS of administration more re-
sembled the management of a
large manufacturing or mercantile
establishment than the military
government of the army. They con-
tend that there is a laxity of mill
tary courtesies and customs of the
service and many other radical
points of difference between the
army and the national guard which
should not exist.
This is all probably true in a
majority of the states, altho in
some instances, national guard
troops under proper conditions,
have been brought up to point
Of military efficiency which, | be-
lieve, Will compare favorably with
majority of the units of the reg
ular army.
The average national guards
man enlists because of his love of
country and consciousness that 1t
Is his duty to be prepared to rem
der satisfactory military service in
time of war.
lie is willing to subject himself
to a reasonable discipline and to
sacrifice his comforts and con-
yeniences to the necessities and re-
quirements of the service in which
he has enlisted.
All that he asks in return is a
reasonable consideration for his
welfare and kindly and humane
treatment from his superior Off
GERS. A man who Is not accus-
toned to extreme privations and
hardships naturally resents unde-
served harsh treatment and feels
aggrieved II subjected to hard
ships which he feels could be OBJ
waited by proper attention upon
the part of his officers.
There has been so much
complaint whether Justified or
not, that the soldier i'm the.
ranks under army officers for
feits his independence upon
signing his enlistment con-
tract, and must expect to suf-
fer from the conditions of the
service many things which he
would not stasd i'm civil life,
that "a prejudice has been Gre
ated In the minds of the young
men OF this country that
makes recruiting for the mill.
tary service extremely diff
cult.
The national guard at.
tempts to disabuse the minds
OF young men OF this idea, and
endeavors to make the service
therein pleasant, attractive
and satisfactory i'm every pos
siblo manner.
IL Is difficult to know just where
to draw the line, and in some
states inducements to enlist were
offered which resulted in materi-
ally lessening the military eff
cheney of the organizations con-
cerned. The elective system of Of
Ulcers, for instance, which has now
been universally abandoned, was
for years considered essential in
some states to maintain a spirit of
democracy in the national guard
and to enable men to choose Off
GERS whose personal magnetism
and popularity encouraged enlist
ments, and induced men in the
ranks to stay with the organiza-