The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-11-16
ADJU1AETS-eENERAl
END THEIR CONVENTION
Clssing sessieA Devoted t. Discassisn
Of National Defense Act.

Clesins sessien Devoted to Disc,ssisa
Of National Defense Act.
The convention Of adjutants-general
and representative officers OF the ma
tional guard from 4 number Of states,
which had been In session since
Thursday morning in the hall Of the
house Of delegates, came to an end at
noon yesterday.
Yesterdays session. which consumed
two hours. was devoted chiefly to a
tionAl defense act Of 1915 which re-
lates to the maintenance Of q national
guard organization Of 500 men to each
congressional district. Brigadier-Gen-
oral Harvey j. Moss, Acknowledgement
of washington state. who was chair
man OF the convention, read the sec
ton In question.
General Moss desired the convention
to look into the matter. Washington
state. he said, does not require what
he considered this enormous in
crease" of men for state purposes in
times OF peace. 1t will entail a burden
on the state. he thought, and he move
that the matter Of the reduction of the
required number of national guards
mon under the national defense act be
referred to the Legislative committee.
IA VIuGE bb8k the COufGuLlOn might ~
on record ~ taking steps to reduce
the maximum peace strength Of the
national guard.
The motion was carried and there
followed \ further discussion Of the
matter Of the number Of men In com
panfes and OF the wisdom OF the
platoon system. General John W.
Heavey. chief Of the militia bureau OF
the United States war department, ex-
pressed 1t ~ his opinion that a COM
pany OF less h 100 men was not an
efficient company for federal purposes.
A company Of ESQ men aud Ave OFF,
GERS, he thought. was much better, the
overhead expense Of maintaining the
larger organization being not appre-
ciabiy greater. He gave 1t - his per-
sonAl opinion thai the wal department
had reached its minimum limit IN AZ
ing h number OF men in companies
of the national guard ~ 100 men. The
platoon system. he said, Is an elastic
one. which limits the number of men
In a company to the numbe which can
be induced to join in any community
under a commissioned head elected by
the company.
Brisadier- General Frank D.. Bald
win. acknowledgement Of Colorado.
stated that In his state the platoon
system had been successful and ex-
planned how its satisfactory operation
had been brought about.
BrtgAdfeP-General 10 Lane Stern, ad-
jutant-Eeneral Of Virginia, however.
declared his opposition to the platoon
system for this state General Stern
said that he believed FIRMLY in the
states rights Idea In regard to main
tanning an organization OF state troops,
not only to look after the states in
terests. but to bear part of the ex-
pense OF federal protection. In this
connection. 1t ~ been previously
stated that 4 state constAbufary could
not Engage In federal activities and
that. for this reason. national guard or
~ganixations were preferable to 4 state
constabulary or state police.
The matter of the time and place
OF the next meeting OF the association
OF the officers OF the national guard
was left to the executive committed.
Denver has asked for the next con-
vontion.
Just before hnal adjournment. Cen
eral Charles D.. Huffman, a~djutant-gen-
eral OF Kansas. offered a resolution ex-
pressing the appreciation Of the CON
ventson to Governor Westmoreland
Davis and General 10 Lane Stern for
.courtesies extended. General stern re-
sponded for himself and the governor.
The Pennsylvania and Maine deIega-
tsons were the hrst to leave the city.
@S~A AA&N IA tnB0I, d w ASH
ington state. declared after the close OF
yesterdays session that he ed the
convention had accomplished exactly
what 1t was hoped to accomplish by
tho meettng-the necessary prelimi-
naftes TO reorganizing and rebuilding
the national guard at the end of the
present emergency. when the former
members of-the national guard orEani-
12itons of the various states autcr,a,i,
caify become civilians again. rs
what C~Saveats~a Aecom lisAeA
Since no effort has been made to
reorgAntxe the national guard since
America declared war on Germany he
said. iii was necessary tina we get a
concensus OF opinion from those who
have had experience in rebuilding ma
tionsl guard organizations in. the past,
and this information has been forth
coming at this convention. In addition
to this. many yexinx questions have
been cleared up and we shall now be
able to proceed along more clearly de-
fined lines of organization when the
United States army has been de-
mobtlizsd."
r0DnND r91Ny ~nH-wv-~