New-York tribune., 1919-04-24
War Dept Orders Four
New Infantry Regiments,
| Cavalry Squadron and
IL Coast Artillery Units
O'Rvan in the Dark
General Declares He Believes
"tawyers Will Not Agree
with Ordcr's Corrcc,ncss''

Under War Department orders re
eeived yesterday four regiments of in
fantry, squadron of cavalry and
twelve companies of coast artillery
5.50i men in all-aro to be organized
IN New York State as National Guard
troops This is taken to mean com
plete return to the National Guard
system, but on q reduced scale for the
present At the outbreak of the war
there were nearly 10000 National
Guardsmcn in New York.
The old peace tables of organization
are to be the basis. This means sixty
Ave men to a line company of infantry
An unnamed official of the War De-
partment was credited with the state
mcnt that the state could maintain
troops in time of peace without the
coupled with the fact that the New
York quota was far below the pre-war
strength of the National Guard here
brought the following statement from
Major General O'Ryan, who now COM
mands the state forces:
Organ in the Dark
al know nothing of the plan of the
War Department in relation to the
National Guard. | note that officials
of the War Department state that un-
der the terms of the national defence
troops in time of peace, the inference
being that unless the states conform
10 the policy and plans of the War
Department they Will be denied the
right to provide for the maintenance
of law and order within the states. Do
not believe that lawyers will agree
with the correctness of this view of
the War Department, nor do | believe
that Congress Will sanction or sup
port all that the War Department
plans.
"ln the first place. believe per
sonaly that the troops" which the
states are denied the privilege of
maintaining, means bodies of mercen-
ary professional soldiers, not militia.
Our part in this war was largely
fought by the citizen soldiers of the
country-the National Guard, National
that the war was fought fundamentally y
for the determination of militarism;
and believe that when the discussion
in relation TO national military pol
icy becomes acute. these classes of
citizen soldiers will bc found unani-
nous in their views concerning the
principles which should govern our
future military policy
Swiss Plan Advocated
az think the policy they will advocate
will have little relation TO some OF the
plans Of the War Department. | thinl:
that in principle the policy they will
advocate viii resemble that which pro
duced the system in force in Switzer-
land. What we need is great citizen
army, not a large professional army. -,
I'VE need a citizen army that VIII
cost the government little to maintain,
an army with the rights Of the citi-
zsary of the country secured by rigid
laws which cannot be msconstrued or
misappled by overcentralized author
~Eternal vigilance is the price of
liberty This is an old maxim, but
profoundly true. The people of the
country should exercise very alert
vigilance a. the present time IN rela-
ton to what IS proposed IN the way OF
Hlitary preparation.
WASHINGTON. April 23.-Authori
7aton was to-day given by the ar
Department 70 the State of New York
to organize new National Guard units,
as follows:
Four regiments Of infantry with a
total strength of 600 officers and men.
One squadron Of cavalry, including
four troops. with a total strength of
2tI officers and men.
Twelve companies Of coast artillery,
Sotallng 1914 officers and men
tnllstments for the new militia 1orce
Will be for d period of six years, three
IN active service. and three in the re-
serye. The enrolment OF men formor-
Y In the service is encouraged by the
war Department 10 opviate the ex-
pense o. training new units.
The authorized New YORK Guard IL
included in the War Departments s
Plans fer reconstitution Of the state
rops, the privilege Of reyiVing the
sta'e militia aiso being extended to
Kew JERSEY rnicn is allotted one reg
Mfnt q infantry and two companies
d coast artillery, Ohio. two req
hetts ~ Infantry. and Oregon. one
'ea'taiion ~ infantry and four com
pshles 81 toast artillery Additional
s9th1fizatipn VIII be forthnomlng from
- depaftmens wnen othef states ex-
hess desire ~ fefoffn theif state
isasfd ofganila'ions.
Wnhe tne mr. Department Wi be
efasiN ~ N1san1 NUN financial as
s,#shee ~ Heu nm state and oshet
ssetNs - ftrfgeniziH9 'htW state
atsys sttii fshgfess basshs NJ 40
Wfvlsi4tp biii sefflag ssi1a funds tn
H'4 tstshts3 arsanpfWents ha7e tsfn
~stf frf ptiih'aR surplus mr. Dfope
- " YHata DfRanlIatlpns.
=. ne ttiltla tfgI'ey atep has AVAIL
~ small aDW ~ Honey left oyeJ
~ fpfmer appfoprlatipn Whieh
~ bf bfD rated among the states NJ
..sn's'hR national 9gard. There is
ssY'sble adequate supplies NJ pcfaoHal
,afa'phsnt, arms and ammunition for
w. ~ proposed state troops, except for
ss esFairJ units, which will not re-
s5ss., horses until Congress provides
s9nn'lonal funds
.,a me new units will be organized
n n.sef the Old peace table Of organiza-
fa f"s a. fo'lows: Infantry regiment
y osfieers and 920 men; squadron OF
ss,fy. ID officers and 2g2 men; com
IN. W c9ast artillery, 3 officers and
Nh. ihs organizations authorized to-day
ssvsi. ssI sueceasfuIIy pass inspection Of
ms.ssf army officers By June 30 to
III isdffal recognition.
a." should be clearly undcrstood,' -
srssaoar MAR Department made plain in
Mssyss 70 State governors, "that the
~. Impairment does not call for the