Washington telegraph., 1919-10-17
REBUILDING THE
NATIONAL GUARD
GOOD PROGRESS REPORTED IN
NEARLY EVERY STATE BY THE
MILITARY DIVISION.
LOCAL UNITS ARE PRESERVED
reorganization Is on the Regular Army
BASIS, and Trained and Expert
eneed instructors Will Be Supplied
BY War Department.
BY JAMES p. HoRNApAY.


BY JAMES P. HoRNADAY.
"ashington.-GoCd progress is be-
ing made with the work Of rebuild
ing the National Guard of the coun-
n.y. Every state lost its entire M
uonal Guard during the war. A good
many military men predicted that a
National Guard organization would
never again be formed, but events Of
'ne last two or three months show
llat those predictions were wild of
'ne mark. Congress showed its friend
snip for the National Guard Idea by
making adequate financial provision
Tor the reorganization of the guard.
Practically every state governor has
also taken an interest in restoring the
organization, and as a result the mill
ltary division of the war department
Is now able to report that the work
OF Forming guard units is making
good progress I'm every state. By the
end OF this fiscal year, It is predicted,
the organization will be back practi-
cally where 1t was when the United
States entered the war.
The federal government, under the
new system expects TO retain a firm
hold on the National Guard, but at
the same time the fullest cooperation
Of the states is sought. In working
out the plan, the division of militia nf-
fairs says, 1t was recognized that the
preservation Of the local units must
be conserved and that the breaking
up Of local organizations, as they were
broken up in 1917, would probably
never be tolerated again. For this rea-
son the bureau determined that the
tactical division should be the basis
Of the organization.
Regular Army Plan Followed.
Under this plan the composition of
the units that go to make up the Ma
tional Guard organization must be the
same as that prescribed for the regu-
lar army, subject to such general ex-
ceptlons as may be authorized by the
secretary of war. The strength Of
the regular company. in time of peace
is 100 men, and that is the minimum
strength the bureau has fixed for the
National Guard There has been some
objection to this from sparsely set
tied sections of the country, the OBJ
jectors saying the minimum strength
should be fixed at 65 men. To meet
this objection the bureau has sug.
gested that in places where the 100
strong company cannot be raised two
platoons of 80 men each be organized
in nearby sections, the two forming a
single company.
But this suggestion has not been IA
vorably received and the prospcc;
seems TO be that the secretary OF wal
will not change the ruling that every
company shan have at least 100 mem
bers.
With view to aiding the guard In
its reconstruction the militia division
has taken pains to select high grade
officers 10 act rs inspector-instructor
These instructors are now starting out
on their rounds Of duty. They are
without exception men who saw serv
ice in France and the new National
Guard will get from them the last
word in military training. The fed
eral government expects to be able
TO furnish instructors for every Ma
tional Guard company in the country
and in addition to these instructors
there will, of course, be a representa-
tive of the war department associated
with the adjutant generals stair In
each state.
SO there is to be close union between
the federal government and the states
in building up the new state organiza
tlon. The war department has also
selected thousand sergeants from
the regular army who are to be under
Instructions for three months at tho
infantry school of arms at Camp Ben
nings. Georgia. These men, at the
end of the training course, are to &c
out as sergeant instructors for guard
units.
Rumored Changes in Supreme Court
The reconvenlng of the Suprem,
court of the United States always re
wives talk about possible changes Fl
this tribunal. The fall meeting of tho
court this year has not proved an ex
| ception to this rule. Chief Justice Ed
ward Douglass White and three of the
associate justices, Joseph McKennu
oliver Wendell Holmes and William Il
Day, are of retirement age. The CHIEF
! Justice will be seventy-four in NOvem
Der. Justice McKenun was seventy-si,
in August. Justice Holmes was sew
enty-eight last March and Justice Day
was seventy last April. Each one
however. is vigorous, both mentally
and physically, and not one Of then
as far as known has expressed any
thought OF quitting work.
II the four members of the cOurt
who are In the seyenty-year class Of
any one Of them, had keen desire tC
retire now would be an opportunC
time. for the court nj this fall session
is confronted with one OF the heaviest
iockets u ever had to deal with. The
war inierfered seriously with the WORK
Of the court. II did not serve to pre-
vent litigatiOa being started but II did
result In the DELAY Of much importan
litigation I'm tie higher courts OF the
i 4 In thn IN