Evening star., 1922-12-10
POINTS TODECL|NE
NNAT|0NAL GUARD

The National Guard is one year
behind in the development required
by Congress itself, through lack of
adequate financial assistance. accord
ing to Maj. Gen. G. c. Richards, chief
of the militia bureau of the War De-
partment, in his annual report.
This retardation will be continued
during the fiscal year 1923. as in
that PERIOD" Gen. Richards added.
This is regrettable in view of the
countrywide acceptance Of the Ma
tional Guard idea by the American
citizenship. Even in the present in
complete state of the National Guard
2.2O0 company units or the equivalent
thereof being maintained in 1850
towns and cities throughout the coun-
try. These local organizations range
IN size from single group of so men
In village to National Guard gar
rison of $4,000 in New York city or
Brooklyn.
"Backed by People"
THE National Guard has the sup
port OF the American people. To COM
plete its organization is simply mat
ter of money"
Gen. Richards said the militia bu-
reau looked forward to early compile
tioiA VI AAot ieSS tildn uSe lHldulTy
divisions and one cavalry division in
addition to the two infantry divisions
already federally organized" The
9th (New York; Division is feder-
ally recognized throughout, he said,
while the 2Sth (Pennsylvania) Di-
air service" The other sixteen di-
visions of the eighteen infantry di-
vision plan range from 9S per cent
complete in the 37th (Ohio) to 40 per
cent in the 4oth california. Utah
and Nevada) Division. The four
cent complete for the 21st (New
York. Pennsylvania and Rhode Island)
to so per cent for the Gath Udaho,
Iowa Kansas, Minnesota. North Da-
ton and Wyoming) Division.
The progress to be made during
the coming year, Gen. Richards said,
depended upon the ability of the
state authorities to furnish suitable
armories as we'll as upon federal
of the War Department in National
Guard development, he said:
The need for harmonious co-opera-
tion between the two services is gen.
adopted toward the National Guard
by the War Department will. it is be-
lieved. achieve the desired results.
The two great hindrances to a proper
and speedler development of the
National Guard are lack of sufficient
funds and Regular Army personnel
for duty as instructors. When these
two DEFICIENCIES shall have been cor
rected. the orderly development and
future success of that element of the
national defense will be assured"
Gen. Richards added that after
year as the first National Guard Off
Ger to be chief of the militia bureau
lit is most gratifying to be able to
testify to the earnest and constructive
cooperation of all elements of the
War Department or the guard in the
defense problem.
Il am frank to say he continued,
that 1 believe even more firmly than
ever in the soundness of the National
Guard idea. The United States can
not have a we'll developed National
Guard service fully trained and
equipped to take the field and at the
same time escape the payment of the
$5O.0O0,0OO per year that such a COM
pletely organized force would prob
ably cost. One must come inevitably
to the conclusion that recently adopt
ed measures of economy with regard
to the National Guard are of doubtful
value and are not in accordance with
the desires of the citizens of the
United States"