Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1921-07-14
OHIO NATIONAL GUARD
PART OF U. s. ARMY


the first time in nearly half a cen
tury, has governmental department
exclusively devoted to the develop
ment of the Ohio National Guard ana
to the solution of the states military
problems gerenally.
Since the Governors plan of State
operation has gone into effect, the
Adjutant General of the State has
become what his title implies anC
what his original status was intend
ed to be, a purely military official
all of whose duties are concentrated
upon the building up of volunteer
citizens military force, to serve the
State in the event of great distress
and to be prepared for the call of the
national government in case of war
As now constituted, the office OF
Adjutant General has no longer link.
ed with it the duties of Chief Janito,
of State Buildings, Custodian, Rea.
Estate Buyer Office, Space Distribu
tor, and many other kindred func.
tons wholly dissociated from his
military work, and which prevented
the most effective performance of tht
| latter.
! OIl6 Ol Ilt HE'LL IGdSOHS lOI lIlt
necessity of relieving the Adjutan
General from the various .custodia
functions, which according to Ad
jutant General Florence, required
fully three-fourths of his time, il
the national governments new
policy under which the Nationa
Guard with the Regular Army, con
stltutes the United States army anC
Is an active, recognized and nation
ally supported branch of the nationa
military force.
Under this new status of the GuarC
Ohio has to raise its strength to 10,
200 troops, as compared with the pre-
vious peace maximum of $500.
also e S:~es a more modern bas.
of M organization, in confor
nifty o4Gn war department require
ments, and necessitates much NOR
extensive method of operation thai
was ever called for under the forme
| system.
i Because the Adjutant General, un
der the Governor as Chief Com
mander, is the head of the Nationa
Guard, all these additional function
beginning with the increase of tn,
4 ucNOlN
directly upon him.
1t was forty-five years ago tina
! civilian duties were first attache
to the Adjutant General. On Marc
27, 1876, the General Assembl
transferred to him custody of tn
| Treasury, which office was abolishe,
with the transfer. From then Oh
new duties of similar nature wer
! constantly added until they consti
tGted by far the greater part of hi
work.
Now, he is relieved of all but tn
military part of his duties, in orde
that he may give his undivided at
tention to the reorganization of tn
National Guard, which Will be tn
fourth largest state military unit
and in case of war will be one of tn
first to be called for first line de
fense.
Under the National Guard reor
ganization, Ohio for the first tim
will have a General Staff, CORES
ponding to the General Staff of tn
United States army. 1t consists O
four divisions, one designated as G.
another as G-2, the third as G-3 an
JIlc letSI tS G-4 III dCCOIudHGc VIII
the staff designations which becam
familiar during the world war. G.
or chief operations officer, a post t
which Major John Volka has bee
designated by the Adjutant Genera
will direct movements of troops; G.
will cover the intelligence servic
and G-3, the war plans and trainin
service. The last two divisions {
the staff are represented by Lieu
tenant Colonel Chalmers r. Wilson
GA covers transportation, suppl
and finance. and is in charge c
Lieutenant Colonel John G.. UngC
All four activities are coordinate
liz the General Staff.
All National Guard training wor
will be carried on under the superv
sion of the United States war depart
ment which bears necessary e1
penses. And the training will /
in as close adherence to actual wa
conditions as possible so that in ever
OF need, the troops and the systel
itself may be in full readiness fc
field operations.
This is being first carried out
the field training camps of the N;
tiOnal Guard at Camp Perry,
which details of transportation, SUI
plies, camp operation, and simila
problems are carried out with til
same systematic precision as woul
have to be relied on in actual wa
= fare. This, according to attach,
; in the Adjutant Generals office, is
/ radical departure from previous pra
: tice when orders were always of
5 general nature, with details lie
largely to individual judgment.
The lesson of the war, they sa
1 has taught the impracticability
> such course in time of stress.
t The only States which will ha7
larger national guard units than Oh
:. will be New York, Pennsylvania al
E Illinois.
D The new system under which Il
/ militia of the country will be an i
0 Itegral part of the first defense of Il
d United States army, was decided u
Il on by the National Government,
Il preferable to maintainance of a lar,
standing army.
:. ''The basis of the new system
: that strong citizens soldier arm
! can be maintained at much less e
! pense than a large regular army
: said Adjutant General Florence. T.
. citizen army, however, must be
= rigidly and practically trained
possible, so that it's status of pr
i paration may meet the acid test
y actual field work at any time.