Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-11-16
militia OFFICERS ADJOURN
TNO- DAY CONVENTION HERE
Yesterdays Session Taken Up Will,
Discussion Of National
49, Defense Act
SWANT NUMBERS DECREASED
Think 500 Men tn Each Congress
sionaI District Too Many for State
yNeto Support-S,crn Opposes Platoon
~. System.

1.-THE conversion OF ndjutauts- general
and representative officers of The Ma
tional Guard FROM many States. which
9's& hecn ~ session FOR two days IN
iht hal of the House OF Delegates.
CLOSED Yesterday at noon, the Penn
tsNivania nd Maine delegations icaviu';
2jfmn,ediatcly for their respective states.
90 Most OF tho morning session was
5staken IN with Il discussion of the see
stion of the national defense ac; OF 1916
relatnE to the maintenance of Ma
otlonal Guard organization of 500 men
10 each congressional district. The
chairman. Brjgadicr-General Harvey j.
Moss. Adjutaut- Gcnerai OF the state
Of Washington. took the floor and read
the section in question.
81, is my earnest desire that The
;conyention look into, this matter. ;
do not require this enormous Increase
of mon for State purposes IN time OF
peace. 1t will entail a burden on the
State, and I move that The matter OF
tie reduction OF the required number
4Stqf M ional puard"ncu under the ma
3tjonal defense act he referred to the
Eention may go on record as taking
steps to reduce the maximum peace
strength OF tn" National Guard"
4f9s The motion being carried. there was
q further discuss ion OF tho matter Of
The number of men in companies aud
of.thc wisdom OF the platoon system.
ieHeTal Jonn W. licHNN. .cnlcf OF the
militia bureau OF the United States
Mar Department. gave it as his opin-
ION That q comp2o" 81. less than 100
men was not an efficient company for
Federal purposes. and that "a company
of ESQ men and five officers WAS mucn
better. tho overhead expense OF main
tanning tho larger organization not
being apprcciably greater. and that 1t
was his personal opinion that the War
Department had reached its minimum
limit in fixing. thc number of mon in
s.FT
men. Tho platoon system is' an elastic
ono, which limits the number Of mon
IN a company TO tho humble" which
can be induced to Join in any com
elected by tho company.
GENERAL. STERN OPPOSES
PLATOON SYSTEM ron virginia
Tho NdjutantGcncral OF Colorado
Who is Rrigadicr-G General Frank o..
Baldwin. retired of the United states
Tor DISTINGUISHED service. stated that
in his State the platoon system had
heen success aud explained how
its successful operation had nccn
brought about. Rrigadi.r- General 10
Lane stern, Adjutant -Gcncral OF Nir-
sinia. however, declared that he was
MOI ~ favor OF the platoon system for
Virginia General Stern said that he
believed strongly in tho States rights
idea in regard 10 maintaining an or
ennizrtion OF state troops. not only
To ith' care of the States interests
Wv, TO bear part OF the expense Of
Federal protection In this connection
" had been previously exclaimed tnat
a N'a'' constabulary could not part
"inatc in Federal activities. and that
ior ihis reason. National Guard or
carnations We're prcfcrablc 10 :. Etut .
corstabulary or State police
y motion WAS carried lcaVin. iSc
,'nc, and place of the next meeting
az the Association OF the Officers of
'hc-t,1t'"ral Guard 10 the ccXcutivc
committee. Colorado asked FOR the
nexl convention. General Charles II.
Hnhnan. Adjutant- General OF kansas
oirered II ;inal resolution EXPRESSING
ne ApiTcciation OF the convention -
me Governor OF Virginia and thu Nd-
!uihnt -Generai Of the stat" for cour-
tesiei cNi"udcd. The motion was ear
rlcd by rising vote amidst on,husi-
astic applause. General stern rcsuondrd
i1r himself and Governor DAVIS in a
journed
h3kea later VIA, he though; n,a
vention of Adju;an,s. General. Major
Harry II. Winsor OF the ST." 81
Washington the secretary, said: !
what we hoped 10 aC21wD!ish hy nj.
nc't'nS-thc nctirsSarttn:ciim 10
reorganlzing and. re6r..Ginr The NJ
o,ohm, Huard organization at tn, cnl
OF inc present emergency when The
former members of the National Guard
organizations OF the various States
automatically become civilians
Since no effort has been made 10
reorganlEe the National Guard since
we went into the war. IL was necessary
mat we get n consensus of opinion from
ihose who have had experience il, rc
building National Guard organizations
IN the. past. and this information has
neSh forthcoming AT this convention
ana man! NeXing questions have been
cieared up so that we Shall be able
70 proceed along more clearly defined
u.hes OF organization when the United
states Army has been dcmoblizcd'