Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1917-11-21
STATE GUARD IS
ELIMINATED IN
Z new ARMY PLAN
identity Of State Organizations Is
Lost While This War
Lasts.
SUGGESTED ByeEN. PERsnINc
Reorganization Wipes Out Identity Of
Seine Famous State Regiment
National Defense Act May
Restore II After Conflict.

washington.--War department Off
Gals. general staff officers and army
officers generally frankly admit that
the National Guard. ms 1t was before
the United States entered the war, is
being gradually eliminated. certainly
as far as this war is concerned.
The fact is that since Gen. John
J. Pershing was sent to France de-
cision has been reached to reorganize
the regular army and National Guard
from top to bottom. This decision was
made on General Pershing's urgent
recommendation.
General Pershing's recommendations
were the result OF conferences In Paris
between the American and allied COM
manders. and the new organization fol-
lows closely the lines Of the present
French organization. built up after
three years OF active fighting.
The recommendation of General
Pershing were an entire surprise to
war department officials and the gen.
eral staff. The latter baked at first.
but ultimately followed the plan rec
commended by the American field COM
manders on the theory that Pershing
was on the ground and In n position
to know what the British and French
have found most effective in battering
their way through the German lines.
That is the whole story. II is hard
on National Guard organizations. es-
pecially the crack regiments. whose
members have always taken great
pride In them and striven to improve
and perfect them.
For Keeping Identity.
At the outset the general staff plan
provided for mastering into the fed
cral service state units as such. each
Of them TO be given a new regular
army number, but to retain Its iden-
tity.
When General Pershing urgently rec
commended that regiments be increased
from 1900 to more than 5000. even
crack National Guard infantry regi-
menfs. which had been recruited TO
full war strength were far below the
required number. As finally perfect
cd the new organization provides for
n repimen,a, ma,imum strength of 1oa
officers and 3,65o enlisted men.
This explains why II has been neces-
sary to merge one National Guard reg
imcnt with another. II has been stated
repeatedly that the National Guard
would next 90 IN France Rv
combining two Cuard units the xen.
crn, stan figured the wnr department
wou,,, hnvr n maximum of men in the
cn,,r-c.l rerimen, who had had ss,,ne
military trimming and cxncr,cuce
a, the other hand n tho rccom.
mcpda,ions az governors senators and
representatives and National Guard
officers were followed and the ranks
NJ Guard units filled mn with drnfted
men from the same states. the ma
,oritv Of every regiment. with n few
exceptions. would be composed of
wholly unframed men. This would
mean : mucb longer training period
As reoryapix4t. nrrny EXPERTS are con-
fitient the Nationa, Guard troops will
he ready for service after a minimum
training period In this country.
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