The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1922-04-20
V.N. 6. IS
THREATENED WITH
CURTAILMENT
Annual Maneuvers at Fort
Ethan Allen May Be
Shortened
(Our Washington Correspondent

Vermont's National Guard is
threatened with serious curtail-
ment in its annual field encamp
ment and maneuvers at Fort Eth
an Allen unless Congress restores
thlrty-three per cent cut made in
, the appropriation for such train
ing of the citizen soldiery of the
country. Adjutant General Her
bert 1. johnson, of Montpelier,
came to Washington this week at
the solicitation of Senator Wads-
worth, Chairman of the State Mil
itary Affairs Committee, to join
with other national guard officers
in presenting to the House leaders
the situation confronting the
guard if the drastic slash
es ordered by the appropria-
tions Committee are carried into
effect.
"In dealing with appropriations
for the National Guard" Gen.
johnson told your correspondent,
we have to consider not actual
present day figures of guard en-
listments but futures, for the
guard is increasing in numerical
strength. Today we have about
148,00O members, by June 80 we
shall probably have 100000, and
by October we are likely to go
as high as 100000 or 10000. All
these have to be taken care of for
army drill and army encampment.
The Budget left the appropria-
tions for these purposes at $780,
100000, and the greatest cut of all
was made in the item of camp
construction and maintenance,
which was slashed from SO, 800, 900
down to $6,500,000.
"ln Vermont this pairing of the
necessary funds would mean cut
ting down the period of our annu-
al summer encampment at Fort
Ethan Allen from the usual time
of 10 days to 10 days or less. The
present programme calls for the
encampment to extend from Aug
ust 5 to August 10.
"The whole foundation of the
National Guard is based on this
period of training in the different
States, and there is a unanimity
of sentiment among the officers
that this cut in appropriation
ought to be restored to the bill.
We have all gotten together on
this proposition, and our cases was
presented to the Military Subcom-
mittee of the Appropriations Com
mittee on Monday by Adjutant
General Rickard, of Maryland, our
spokesman. There is report that
this heavy cut was made under a
misrepresentation in the House, and
the reception accorded to us all
and our spokesman by the COM
mittee was apparently very favor
able"
Another appropriations curtail-
ment which was brought to the
attention of the committee and
against which a protest was lodg
ed by the Adjutants General of
the States was in the item for the
care of horses in the National
Guard and for feed and forage
and for the care of material. The
forage and bedding appropriation
was cut from $1,S48,O00 to $1,200,-
Geo, according to Adjutant Gen
cral johnson, and although Ver-
mont is not interested particular
ly in this item since the Vermont
unit of the guard is an infantry
command, yet he took part with
his fellow officers in urging that
this appropriation also be restor-
ed. 1--WE are all pulling together,
said Gen. Johnson, "and it's really
all one problem"
The Adjutant General of Ver-
mont remained in Washington for
a few hours only, but while at the
Capitol called upon members of
the Green Mountain delegation.
Capt. Leonard S. Doten, U. S.
A. of Burlington, attached to the
Quartcrmaster Corps, in Wash
ington, is ordered to Chicago
under d recent order by the War
Department, and will probably
leave Washington about June l,
when he will have completed a
period of five years military ser