Norwich bulletin., 1917-03-13
HOME GUARD TO
 BE EFFICIENT BODY Will be Recruited Largely From Among Former Soldiers.

The home guard authorized and in I effect created by the Connecticut leg l islature will be constabulary in name and in some of it's features, but | ordinary acceptance of that term in communities not very familiar with it's use. In it's essence it will be a mili- | tarY body and it will enjoy the mili- | tary status, legally.
 The states of the American union f are empowered by the Hague conven- l tions, to which the United States is q forces which may rightfully be em- 1 ployed in time of war. A body of men operating under state authority as such a force, in case of an in | ment as soldiers. and as prisoners Of 1 war, if captured, while if they oper- ated oHIlS as citizens and were no part of the military system. of either state or nation, they would be liable to execution as gEeriilas, or franctireur as they are termed in Europe.
 At the same time the national de- fense act forbids the organization of militia bodies by the states without the sanction of the war department and outside of the national guard reg ulation. It was necessary. then. that any such organization as was con templated for strictly state and local defense should be in the nature of q constabtlary, which is sanctioned by both International and federal law. Hence the description of this body Of home guard as a constabulary force. Representative w. A. Holt, who is a member of the military committee, said that the committee originally pre- pared comprehensive bill prescrfb-
 ing the organization of the Home Guard in detail; but that on maturer reflection it was deemed better to merely authorize and create the con- stabulary in a broad sweeping law and
 all a. Inent, equipment, discipline, pay and control to an emergency board of three men to be appointed by the governor. So the detailed statute was cast over board in the interest of greater speed and efficiency and the incoming emer- gency board will have practically un-
 limited powers.
 While the whole business is now in the hands of the committee and of the legislature. MT. Holt said it was the idea of the committee. and will undoubtedly be the idea of the gov ernor and of the emergency board, to Home Guard is not to be an asylum for children or a refuge for slackers. It will, in all likelihood, be recruited very largely from among former sol diers of the regular army.s the Ma tional Guard and veterans of the Spanish and Philippine wars; men of military experience, who will not need to be drilled in~the rudiments of sol
 
 arms. There are many such who are beyond the natural military age and who for reasons of economic useful ness, or perhaps for minor physical disabilities, would not be expected to take the field. at least. in the early stages of a war.
 What the plan of organization is to be, and what the tactical units of which the constaIbulary will consist. are matters for the determination of the emergency board. It is regarded as probable, however. that the bulk of the Home Guard will be organized as infantry and machine gun sections. It is quite certain that the guard will be fully equipped.
 The state control of the Home Guard will solve many problems for the committee which has been work ing in New London for the very end which it is now proposed to accom- plish under the authority of the com monwealth. Those who have refused to take the Home Guard idea serious iy are suddenly beginning to realize today, that it is highly important matter and that the idea which ger minated in New London is destined to develop into a measure of protection without which this peculiarly vulner- able state and it's particularly vulner- able towns would be in a serious pre- dicament if the National Guard should suddenly be called away by some great crisis