Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-08-25
GET NATIONAL GUARD
TO NORMAL CONDITION

By w. y. MANN.
copyright, 1890. by The Washington

By W. s. MANN.
Copyright. 1890. BY The Washington
WASHINGTON, Aug. 25.-Demob-
ilixation Of the troops that partici-
pated in the war against Germany
left the national guard organizations
in a very shattered condition, and
after a year and q half of work this
arm Of the military is now getting
back to normal condition, with great
ly added value due to the lessons
fields in France.
Last month there were 1o7 organ
nations enrolled in the national
guard Of the several states, and the
figures for the present month bid
fair to eclipse that record. but even
SO the fotai will be far below that
which is authorized under the law.
National guard camps and schools are
in operation this year for the frst
time since the war, and every arm
of the service is represented, includ-
ing several which were never thought
of until the great war.
There were enrolled last month
SIS companies Of infantry. is troops
Of calvary, 3 batteries of field ar
tillery, 6 companies of coast artil-
lery, 2 companies of engineers, ? tank
corps companies, 2 train companies,
2 sanitary attachments and I signal
company. On August / the total
strength of the national guard was
but 57,114, compared with an au-
therized strength of 17s,000, but the
officers of both the guard and the
regular establishment are much
pleased with the way enlistments are
coming in.
More attention is being paid to the
development of a field artillery force
in the national guard than ever be-
fore, due to the unprecedented I'M
portarce which was attached to ar
tillery fire in the recent war. There
are now forty batteries of field ar
tillery in the national guard, though
there. is authorization for 96. New
York leads all states in this respect,
having the skeleton organization for
a full artillery brigade, which in
cludes two regiments of rs millimet-
er (3-inch) guns and one 100 MILL
meter (6-inch) guns. .
pennsylvania has 2 regiments of
ISIS nearly complete, while Washing
ton state has the only battery OF l55
millimeter G.. p. F's. which is a long
range weapon. Wisconsin has two
regiments of artillery in process OF
organization, Utah has two batteries
and Ohio has battery.
At present the bureau of militia
affairs. of which Maj. Gen. Carter is
the head, is epdeavoring to induce
the state governments to provide
suitable armories for their national
guard outfits. Lack of armories,
more than anything else, is hamper
ing the organization of the artillery
forces, for cannoneers cannot be
trained in a lodge room over a gro
Gerry store, or in other makeshift
places where national guardsmen are
too often compelled to drill.
At several camps national guard
units are now receiving q fifteen DAY
course in modern warfare, always
under the instruction of officers and
men who had actual experience n
lighting the German army. In ad-
dition a three months course for ma
tional guard artillery officers Is be-
ing given at Fort Sill, Okla, where
the officers attending receive full
pay undergoing instruction.
The size to which any state may
recruit its guard is based on the num-
Der of representatives 1t has in the
national congress, and under h
present act increase every year for
three years. By June 80, 1922. IT
is the the aim OF the militia bureau
to have a minimum of $4,000. The
maximum which may be enrolled by
that period is 435,000, or 500 for
every member of the house of rep
reseptatives.
In the war with Germany the ma
ltional guard contributed $4,000 Of
icers and $4,000 men. A great
many of these since their return
to civil pursuits have enlisted again
in the guard, but the recruits are
confined to no one class or condition
of men. 1t is rather puzzling to md
companies and batteries in some
places composed almost exclusively
of veterans, while elsewhere there
will hardly be a former service man
in an entire unit.
1t is much easier to get experience
ed officers for the guard than 1t Is
to round up the required number OF
enlisted men. For that reason the
militia bureau has obtained the CO.
operation OF. the recruiting service OF
the regular ARMY, and when a re-
cruiting agent finds a man who is
Interested in things military, but who
cannot leave his civil calling for the
army, he is advised to join the ma
tional guard, so that when another
emergency arises he will be able to
protect himself and his country in a
most efficient manner.