New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-03-27
Remobilizing the Guard

The state militia organizations are be-
ing rapidly recalled into the Federal ser
vice. This move is absolutely necessary.
The National Guard constitutes 66.6 per
cent of the first line army created by the
Hay law Ga first line army in name, but
something quite different in fac). On a
war footing the regular establishment will
have a maximum strength of about 22O,-
900. On the same footing the militia or
CARNATIONS will have a maximum strength
of about 100000.
The regular establishment is now only
g little over 100000 strong. 1t will be diff
ficult to recruit it up to peace strength, to
say nothing of war strength. Volunteer
ing for the regular army always becomes
slack when war is in sight, most of the
volunteers preferring to go into the militia
or into new formations. The National
/ Guard, on the contrary, can be recruited
up to the maximum without trouble, since
/ the Hay law authorizes conscription for
the purpose of providing the reserve bat
talions which are to feed the battalions
sent to the front.
The public is unfamiliar with this pro-
vision of the Hay law. 1t slipped through
/ Congress without attracting attention out
side. Section 10 of the act says:
/ When members Of the National Guard and
! the enlisted reserve thereof Of any State,
Territory or the District of Columbia shall
have been brought into the service of the
! United States in time of war, there shall be
Immediately organized, either from such
enlisted reserve or from the unorganized
militia, in such State, Territory or District,
one reserve battalion for each regiment Of
infantry or cavalry, each nine batteries
Of field artillery, each nine companies
of coast artillery, brought into the SER
vice of the United States, and such reserve
battalion shall constitute the reserve bat
] TALON of any such regiment or twelve COM
panies Of coast artillery. Reserve bat
talions shall consist Of four companies of
such strength as may be prescribed by the
President Of the United States. When the
members Of three or more regiments Of the
/ National Guard of any State, Territory or
/ District shall have been brought into the
service Of the United States, the reserve
/ battaions Of such regiments may be organ
/ lied into provisional regiments and higher
units. IT. for any reason there shall not be
enough voluntary enistments to keep the re-
serve battalions at the prescribed strength,
a sufficient number of the unorganzed
militia fall citizens OF military age shall
be drafted into the service of the United
States TO maintain each OF such battalions
at the proper strength.
Without waiting for any change Of law
the Administration can bring TO the colors
100000 state miitamen. And 1t is likely
that the 100000 limit for the Guard will
be reached-should Congress fail TO i'm
pose universal service-before the regular
establishment is recruited by voluntary en-
listment 10 $4,000 or even 20 100000.
A National Guard Of 100000 will con-
tain a relatively small percentage Of par
TALLY trained troops-perhaps % or 30 per
cent. II will not offer real first line ma
terial. But under the Hay law it must do
duty in the first line, amagamating itself
as best IL can with the regulars now avail
able within continental United States.
We have come TO a pass when the Ma