New-York tribune., 1919-03-16

OF service had properly entitled thems to
preference
So acrimonious was the discussion that
Governor Dix issued an order relieving Gem
cral Organ Of all duties except when the
troops were in the field and making General
Verbeck, the adjutant general of the state,
the executive officer Of the National Guard
II the fight had been bitter over General
Organs appointment it increased tenfo!d
in intensity now. Officers by the score re-
fused to rclnain in the Guard if General
O'Ryan was not reinstated Governor Dix
refused to alter his decision.
When Governor Sulzcr assumed Office he
rc9cinded ,he orders giving General Verbeck
thc administrative duties and restored Cen
cral O'Ryan to the active command.
Then General Organ gave up his law
practice and devoted all his attention to the
work of the State National Guard
His orders were drastic, farreachng. If
a regiment seemed to him to be inefficient he
disbanded it, His rule was thoroughly
in keeping with the military service.
He complained that armories were social
centres, not military training schools. He
ordered dancing floors torn up and dirt floors
substituted. Instead Of dancing the men
dug trenches.
His conception Of the New York National
Guard was so revolutionary that it startled
the old line men. They protested vigorously
against being put on the supernumerary list;
they organized community protests against
disrupting regiments with traditions; they
presented petitions for the removal Of this
military despot.
But General ORyan refused to devate
from his purpose. He said he had one lob
to perform for the people of the State Of
New York. ard that was to create an eff
cient military organization
When the National Guard of the country
was called into the Federal service, at the
time Of the Mexican disorders, General
O'Ryafl went to the border as divisional
commander. He achieved record down
there that gave to the regular army new
conception of National Guard possibilities.
His career on the border was any thing
but peaceful. He caused complete reor-
ganzaton of the old Sixty ninth. He forced
the retirement of regular army captain
who commanded the old Twelfth Both ac-
tions brought no end of censure upon him.
The incident of the old Twelfth was particu-
larly bitter.
General Organ reviewed the regiment.
He was dissatisfied with the showing of
the troops, and he ordered the regiment to
pass in review second time. 1t was
singing rebuke. given p:bicly. TO the rcgi-
mcnt and to its commander. The commander
refused to serve any longer, and many Of
his officers sided with him, even Offering to
tender their designations with his. Some
regular army officers attempted to form
determined opposition in their own circles to
this "strutting militia martinez" as they
called General O'Ryan.
The incident assumed proportions that
alarmed General Organs friends, but his
jaws closed with snap when they attempted
to discuss it with him.
The troops returned from the border and
General Organ, profting by his experience
in the field, began 10 weed out many of the
officers. He said the one condition Of re-
naming in the service was efficiency, and
that no one could hold a commission in
the line on the staff unless he was seri-
Gus in his desire to be a soldier
General Organ established at his Munic-
pal Building headquarters a travelling Office
in which he preserved the record, for in
slant reference Of every officer in his
division.
He forcsaw Americas entrance into the
war. lie seemed to count the Mexican
service as but preliminary. He organized
his headquarters that his troops could
be called into the Federal service without
delay. The response of New York State was
so speedy that it astounded the medical ex-
amners ard mastering officers of the regu-
lar army.
One of the officers that General Organ
had set great deal of store by was Corne-
lius Vanderbilt. He had advanced him to
the colonelcy of the Twenty-second Engi-
neers, regiment that General O'Ryan had
completely transformed.
When Camp Wadsworth was decided upon
as the training ground for the New York
division, he sent Colonel Vanderbit's regi-
ment ahead. Camp Wadsworth was con-
nected with the city of Spartanburg by
long, winding road.
There another shorter and hazardous
passage entirely too hazardous for large
bodies of troops. Colonel Vanderbilt made
his report and he was straightway ordered
to make the shorter road available. This in
voved cutting away the sides of hills, brdg-
ing ravines and filing in. But Colonel Van
derbilt knew his commanding general and
he did as he was ordered. Even in the days
of the great thaws when the roads in South
Carolina fairly collapse the work of Colonel
Vanderbilts men stood the test.
Soon General O'Ryan was ordered to move
his headquarters to Camp Wadsworth, He
speedily scnsed the possibilities of the site
and he made the training ground one of
the model camps of the United States army.
(-ruduallv hia troors were all rnnhiiixoI