Evening star., 1919-09-21

The scheme in effect for the reor-
ganization- Of the National Guard
which was prac-
Rebuilding Of the ticaiiy all lost
National Guard. ,ts to 'ns war s's.ss i.ssra1. y.
ization. is based upon the national de-
fense act Of June %. 1915. The pres
ent Army appropriation bill provided
, funds for the support of a, guard
| strength of 200 men for each senator
| and representative in Congress. or a
total Of approximately 100000. With
the passage of the appropriation bill
in July, 1919, it became the duty Of
the United States bureau of military
affairs, of which the chief is Maj.
Gen. Jesse Mel. Carter, to direct the
aid of the federal government to the
formation by the several states Of
practically a new National Guard.
The first operation of the bureau
was to determine upon a plan within
the law for the creation of a guard
that will best fill the needs Of the
states and at the same time be Of
such value to the federal government
as will warrant the considerable
sums of national money expended for
the support of this organization. The
matter of first consideration was the
evolving of system that would as
far as possible secure the co-opera-
ton of the states as they are repre-
sented by their governors and state
adjutants general 1t was recognized
that the preservation Of the local
units must be conserved and that the
breaking up of local organizations
another time would not be tolerated.
For this reason and because it is the
only sound way to organize a body
OF troops containing as many as a
hundred Thousand men, the bureau
determined that the tactical division
must be the basis Of the Organization.
The advantage, of this plan is OBJ
vfoua, but its execution has brought
forth objections from state authori-
ties. and from the state point of view
weight
The disposition of troops under
divisional plan involves and the law
seems to require that the composition
OF the units shall be the same as that
prescribed for the Regular Army,
subject to such general Exceptions as
may be authorised by the Secretary
Of War. The strength of the regular
company is 100 men. and that is the
minimum strength the bureau fixed
Tor the National Guard company. That
plan works admirably from the fede-
raj point of view; but it does not
meet the situation in the more sparse
ly settled sections Of the country-es-
pecially In some of the western states
Excellent material is found there for
the guard; but, like the thread Of
gold IN the mine. is in small quanti-
ties So they are presenting their
pany to minimum strength Of sixty
five men. The bureau has suggested
that in places where the 100 strong
company cannot be raised two pla-
in me- nearby sections. the I've forming
satisfactory to the states. which
realize that the. greater number Of
officers and the fewer the number of
enlisted men the greater Is the facil-
ity OF raising the companies. On this
question the Secretary of War has
held that until the emergency is
over ne cannot reduce the strength
OF the guard company: and then he
remains as 1t is in the national de-
fense act.
The adoption Of the divisional unit
presents difficulties. The most useful
least costly is the infantry; and, ac-
cordingly, each state seeks to have
allotted to it as many infantry organ
| izations as possible; and, therefore.
each state. when it finds 1t necessary
to provide field artillery, machine gun
companies ambulance corps, signal
corps, engineers. ETC., to say, nothing
Of heavy sartiHery.saviatioH companies
and the like, has a realization OF the
difficulties Of providing its quota of
troops for a division Of the National
Guard. although 1t recognizes at
once the federal advantage and its
own gain in case Of another emer-
igency thai may call for the federaliza-
| tion Of the guard.
| For the purpose Of aiding the guard
in its reconstruction, the militia bu-
reau has taken the utmost pains in
| the selection Of the officers who are
to act as Observation-Disclosures the
friends and advisers of the officers of
! the guard units. Maj. Gen. Carter's s
long experience in the Army, including
his period Of command and organiza'
| tion Of the 11th Division, where he
was brought into contact with civilian
troops of the National Guard class,
has given him a keen insight into the
type of officer the guard needs, and
as fast as he can obtain the right sort
Is sending them to duty with state
troops.
Meantime the War Department has
had a thousand selected sergeants un-
der instruction FOR three months at
the Infantry School Of Arms at Camp
Bennings, Ga, to fit them to become
ant-instructors for guard units.
Already $50 Of these men have COM
pleted their course and are about to
lAA~