El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-12-26
THE OLD NATIONAL GUARD IS CONE
EVEN BEFORE. MEN ARE DISCHARGED

CFCPETARY Of var Bakers announcement that the
y oas guard passes out Of existence with the discharge
q the IRON federal army service comes as surprise
ehev bsause people have not been thinking about It
ohes they would realize that the passing out OF ex-
stsnos Of the Old national guard is tie natural thing
II there had been general discharge Of feoera1zed ma
-ss-zl ur5seu after the Mexican mobilization they
oud have reverted their national guard status In
fact tat did IN the case Of many guard oIganiza-
The uzits practically intact IS when they En-
tered federal service.
Bat saes the liberalization for the big war, the ua-
touaI guard units have lost their identity The names Of
rsent1 beginning with 100 national guard regiments,
s srs given 70 understand. The 14fst infantry
Teas national guard regiment The 15Sth infantry was
the cd Ar1ouz national guard regiment The 3O0nuH-
tred regiments we're national army ORGANIZATIONS Inc
RanbcE division and the SandstoTm diysion were na-
tiozal Euzrd divisions
BIT these regiments and divisions became national
gard organizations in and tradition only In per-
s1ns thev were heterogeneous The 18Th infantry, for
eE-uus had only five six hundred Of the old Ar
zona national guard The regiment filled up TO war
strength b. the addition Of about 2ooo draft men Other
l1ticnzl guard regiments we're similarly filled
Furtheruors drafts Of taken from these reg
sufs u spaoemens for casualties in other organizations
AID their places filled, IN turn, BY men from the de-
Dot hriFades n camps and czntoumeuts in the United
ststes E1giand ard France So that man who joined
ths ATzcnz regiment a national guardsman may now
b serving IN regiment Of the old regular army and man
rho served IN any military organization before the
zzT &c IN the old Arizona guard regiment So
uhen this regiment mustered ont Of federal service, II
VII rrobzblv very few Of its original personnel and
5na guard status simply because they happened to be-
the moment Of mastering out IN former national guard
regiment
ne amy IL aau mixed up" now It has been scrambled
AID uuszmbls It would Re huge, confusing and use-
less task The var department IS entirely right IN deed-
rE -pe Tie whole slate clean By dischargng into civil
Tie al officers and men eligible for discharge.
What 70 be the future Of the national guard IS up to
congress II nay continue the organization before, OF
nay, settling upon military policy abolish the
Ezrt system altogether II there is 10 be policy Of uni
rzrEzl military trainng there viii be for the
iionzl guard u the countrys military establishment.
Tat E0ud remove from existence, regrets TO think
fze cd military organizations Ike the 5eth New
To the Cleveland GTay the Ancient and Honorable Ar
eTy company Of Boston and the Washington Guards OF
Ee Orll-ls Of which have endured since the
l1ozary and have splendid traditions Of state and
1Etio1zl II Is altogether likely, however that
AID Others Of their kind would be maintained not
units Of tie national Of state force, but military
s51s perhzps filled with above the universal train
zg age bit vho would be eager if to come, to
Fsunter body for LIBERALIZATION and thus live up to
TIE traditions Of their organizations.
Wien congress comes TO consider new, permanent
Military policy, i VII find national guard IN exist
czos L consists Of regiments recruited in many states
The fe1eTaEzation OF the old guard The Texas
zly and infantry h1gzdes example These orgsni