Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1920-12-12
FUTURE STATUS NATIONAL GUARD
ATTRACTING ATTENTION OFFICERS

WASHINGTON. ID. C.. Dec. Ia
What Of the future OF the National
nlardf This question Ii now cngng.
hlg the attention Of members OF Con.
grtss. National Guard officers. and OF.
lIclals NJ the War Department.
Soon after war was declared and the
United States went IN ON the side IL
the Alllcs the National Guard WIS
mustered Into the zerylce of the Unit.
ed States and became Federal troops.
This left the country withou, any Ma.
tIonai Guard. The lack u n Guard
was felt In many places particularly
where enemy spies were active. For.
nation of home guards" aud other
local organizations was undertaken In
many cities. but these never amounted
10 much, however willing aud patriotic
their members, simply because the
War Department paid no attention 10
these organizations. They were with.
out arris and equipment. uniforms ~
Instructors In many instances.
In other cities and IN some states
new National Guards were organized
10 take. the place OF those mustered
into the Federal Service. This %.
CURED anly In a few states. however.
The tate that raised the biggest and
mo-. efficient new Guard was Texas.
Three fuil brigades were organized In
that state under the able supcrvlslo,i
~ Govemor Hobby aud Adiutantr Gen.
eral Harley and Cope. These troops
compared favorably with any Nationa.
unnrd organizations. They were ade.
yuately armed, uniformed, and equip.
ped. Their officers went 10 school ami
the three new brlgados were on the
point Of being mustered Into the Fedof.
al service and probably would within .
short time have beeu sent 10 Europe
had not the armistlce INTERVIEWED These
brigades were afterwards turned into q
cavalry division. Texas Is now the only
stnie with n full division of National
Kuard cavalry. II Is reported this Tex.
~ cavalry division Is one Of the beat
national guard organizations ever form.
I'd. thanks to Governor Hobby ana Ad.
jutant General Cope. who succeeded Ad
jutent General Harley. some time ago.
New York. wisconsin. Illinois and
Pennsylvania are the only states that
now have anywhere near the national
guard organization that exists today la
Texas.
Al this writing the organized
strength Of the New National Guar I
only numbers about $4,000 officers aud
men. The authorized strength at pres.
, ent In 10000.
The old national guard as guard
ceased 10 exist with the Anerican
troops were mustered out after war
ended. The War Department. there.
fore. at the beginning 81 the armis,icS,
Wa faced with the problem Of building
up complete new national guard. IL
has beeL difficult job.
Always among the veterans Of any
war there In an indifference. not To sav
hostility, to peace time service In the
National Guard. The present is no es.
ception 90 the rule. As practically
every young man In the United States
was either In the service during the
war ar registered for service these men
now feel no desire % connect them.
selves with n nav national guard Tm,g
IN the principal reason why recruiting
the new national guard has proved %
difficult to the War Department. There
are other reasons too numerous to men
ton In this article that will be dis.
cusscd nj a later date. as 10 why there
IL great difficulty nj this time In or
ganizlnG a new national guard.
Az Il seems certain that Congress VIII
not pass. a universal military bill at thi,
session. ar In fact at any session. be'
cause. principally. such n system would
cost 81. 900. 600. 900 annually. many Sen