The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1917-12-08
State Guard Is Eliminated
In The New Army Plan

GuardSmen have suffered diSintegra-
ton. For instance, the men of the
First New York Cavalry and Squadron
A find themselves today mere dough
boys" as in the past they termed the
infantry. They are bidding final fare
we'll to their horses, and the parting
is a sad one, for many Of the former
cavalrymen 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
$50 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 It's 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
n decent sized company. The historic
commands have been drained of
| their men that more fortunate regl-
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 70
stir I'D even keener resentment tnaI
the combining of units within 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 organlZa
ton. Both contained large number
Of veterans.
When it was decided to combine
them, NIissourianS Immediately ros'
and protested the case in person t
<SeCrcIdTy Ddhel, p'li'ihS 80 80 "
Justice to both states and the damag
ing effect on the morale of the officer
and men.
He said this was true, also, Of tn
Second Missouri, which was slated L
he carved UP and transformed into ma
chine gun battalions.
Governor Gardner used all of the al
ruments he could muster, but Woun
up by declaring emphatically that
the government could not do other
wise Mr., Baker could count on Mis-
:ouri supporting him and doing II
duty TO a man. This case has ne
vet been finally disposed of, but it
entirely probable that Governor Gar
, ner will lose.
Mr.. Baker personally regrets IN
necessity for breaking up state unit
Ohio his own state, has some crac
, regiments, and the Buckeye state
! being treated exactly as every othf
:, state The first consideration IS
,,;l;torv one. The government want
: the best possible military machine al
= only efficiency was considered In pc
= foctinp the organization plans.
After the War.
l. IF there are any definite after-th
d war plans for the National Gual
d thev have not been revealed. MI
s torv experts who discussed the maui
d doc,ored that after the war the
l. tionol Guard naturally will revert
" tie stotus under the national defen
# ao+ which was passed with a vie
d 70 federalizing the Guard ana ma
]. inc If more responsive to national Il
4 thOrity. A.. \
II prt what will be left of the \
N +;onol Guard if the war lasts 10
tiu,o n is asked? When the Qua
.-os shaken together after its ser'i
On the border 1t numbered app'o
81 matclv 10000. Since that time ma !,
a a thousand Guardsmen have Deen u
~ ' no.aod on account of dependent re
~ 80 IFS strength at the time
IN , ,ls states entered the war may
nc 4 IT 10000 officers and men :,
ne p", Man who have enlisted since q
IS IVY" ala co "for the period of the w
~ I'D will be automatically dlscil".
Dr. anu !. ends Meanwhile, it Is fa'r
sr, mn that many of the ve,e,
no ase"l ,cron will appear on caSua