The midland journal., 1917-07-06
National Guard Units Will Not
Lose Identity.
WAR DEPARTMENT DECIDES
Troops Drafted Also To Have Home
Designation In Addition To
Army Numbers-Plans
Worked Out.


der the selective draft, will retain
their State identity in the army organ
ization when they go to France to fight
for democracy, according to an an
nouncement of the War Department.
The Marylanders, or for that matter
the troops of any other State, will not
be swallowed up in the regular army
numerical designation, as has been
generally feared by the guardsmen
and State militia officers.
Plans for numbering the regiments
in the entire army have been worked
out and approved by Secretary of War
Baker, General Bliss, chief of staff,
and Adjutant-General McClain.> This
plan provides that the State troops,
whether National Guardsmen or ma
tional army troops, shall have state
designation in parenthesis, so that it
will be easy to keep tabs on the home
soldier boys.
Under this plan, the Maryland
Guardsmen will be given a number in
the regular army to be followed in
parenthesis by it's State designation,
namely: "Sixty-sixth Infantry (Fifth
Maryland) or "Thirty-fifth Field Ar
tillery Battery A, Maryland)." The
state designation of the national army
will be known the same way, namely:
1.-TWO Hundred and Fifth Infantry
GGC;xy@.y io1I wifi
lery (Maryland)."
Definite Mention Expected.
While these designations will be
used in official dispatches, it was
pointed out that it will not be long be-
fore the news dispatches from France
will tell of the exploits or work of
the Fifth Marylanders" or First Vir-
ginians," just like the British refer to
the Fifth London Lancers."
The decision of the War Department
to allow the troops to retain their
state designation follows strong pro-
test which has been made against the
regular army organization swallowing
completely the guardsmen and the
state troops recruited under the
selective draft.
"The system contemplates that the
designation in parenthesis would ordi-
narily be omitted in orders, dispatches
or correspondence" said Adjutant-
General McClain in his report to Sec
rotary Baker, "but would be author
lied when desired for the purpose of
local identification and to preserve
traditions and local pride. The Ma
tional Guard organizations would
show in parenthesis their present
state designations. The national army
organizations would show in paren-
thesis the state from which the or
ganization or the bulk of it, was
drawn. No parenthesis implies regu-
lar army. An ordinal number and
state abbreviation imply National
Guard. A simple state abbreviation
implies national army. 1t is believed
it is advisable to localize organizations
if practicable. The assignment of
state designations for national army
organizations under the above system
would be somewhat arbitrary in some
cases, but, on the whole, the system
could be worked out quite accurately
and with suitable credit to all states.
Single Series For Each Class.
"In the interests of simplicity, there
fore, and to avoid many errors and
much confusion in administrative and
other matters, it is believed to be es-
sential that single series of numbers
be used for each class of organization
divisions, brigades, infantry regi-
ments, engineer regiments, etc. But
no mature thought, and in view of the
uncertainty with respect to what may
from time to time constitute the best
combinations, or the most convenient
organization. l now believe it would
be impracticable to organize divisions
and brigades permanently on a basis
that will enable one to deduct from
the regimental number the number of
the division and brigade to which that
regiment belongs. This regularity
should be approximated as closely as
possible in the initial organization, but
strict adherence to the rule should not
be insisted upon.
"This Office is of the opinion that
the formation of provisional divisions
is a mistake. Our tables of organ
ization provide for divisions organized
in specific manner. To break up
this organization and form a new one
at the very last moment will result in
endless and needless confusion, due to
the transfer of men and officers. The
resultant shifting and changing of rec
ords will be stupendous, and cannot
be made to fit tactical requirements.
On the whole, it is believed to be far
better to continue with our present
statutory organization, and devise a
plan for removing our difficulty in a
rar1er that would best fit the special
conditions that may confrontlus''