Trench and camp. ([Admiral, Md.) 1917-1919, 1919-05-29
The War Department VIII
Encourage National Guard


Continuation of the divisional. reg
mental and company organizations
developed in the war is contemplated
by the War Department in reorgani-
cation of the National Guard, Secre-
tary of War Bake announced re-
Gently.
Secretary Baker said the depart
ment was sympathetic toward the
National Guard and will encourage
it's organization on the basis of ex-
perience during the war. The volun-
teer system, he stated, must always
be the underlying principle of the
American army in practice.
"The seth Regiment, 165th U. 8.
infantry Eve will take this regiment
as an example)," said Mr.. Baker,
was called into the Federal Service
by the President, and after 1t mad
been called into the Federal Service
| it was in the relationship then OF
National Guard Unit in the Federal
Service, and If 1t had been discharged
from the Federal Service at that time
/ 1t would have gone back to New YORK
as a National Guard unit. Later,
however, the President drafted 1t in
to the service-you will remember
that there were two steps in that. The
draft operated upon 1t as though OPP
Grating upon individuals. 1t was as
though the President had said: i
am going to take all men who are
/ feet. 9 inches TALL and the relation
of the men of the Goth to the Fed
eral Government, after they were
drafted into the service, then became
the relationship Of a .Selective Service
man, or a drafted man.
Nov the draft Of the Federal Gov
eminent overrides every other sub
ordinate military obligation. There
fore. these men came into the Fed
eral Service and that operated to ex-
tinguish their military obligation to
their State: at least for the time
being. Whether that can be auto
matically reestab lished do not know.
Congress passed legislation which
provided that the time Of service OF
men who came in either from the
National Guard, or by Selective Serv-
ice, or by enlistment, should be the
same, and should expire ut the end
of the emergency-whatever the def
milton of that was-and this was sup
bpOsed to extinguish their military OBJ
| legation OF course, there is nothing
to prevent these men going back to
start National Guard organizations,
and to reenlist in these organizations.
cat the time. the first Army bill
was sent down 1t was felt that enough
of the National Guardsmen would not
have gotten back to this country to
raise the question Of financial support
during the year covered by that bill.
Some of the members Of the House
Committee, however, felt that there
ought to be provision for them, so
that provision was made think the
original bill made slight provision;
but. on the suggestion Of some mem
bers of the House Committee, General
Lord made up special estimate for
inclusion in the bill.
whenever the Federal Govern
ment extends recognition to the Or
carnations OF the National Guard,
they. by virtue Of that recognition be-
come entitled to receive from the
Federal Government the equipment.
So that all 1t liz necessary for the seth
| (for example) to do is to reorgaliize
and, when it L. ready for Inspection,
the War Department will inspect 1t
and. IL it passes muster, 1t will be rec
Ognized.
There never has been any state
ment of policy as to the organisation
Of National Guard units. The War
Department is in favor of and In
sympathy with the organisation OF
the National Guard, with this sug-
gestion as to the future organization
Of the Guard: it ought to be as far as
possible assimilated to the form of
organization which has been devel-
oped to be necessary during this war,
that is, the larger regiment and the
special services. My judgment is
that, in organizing the National
Guard. it ought to be organized 80 as
to fall easily iRto the most modern
form OF war organization"