Evening star., 1925-03-29


the President Withholding 1882, 900,
which was provided in the deficiency
bill for armory drill pay for the Ma
tional Guard. So much importance
was attached to this decision of the
Chief Executive that a group of Ma
tlonal Guard officers called on the
President and pointed out to him the
serious results which this would have
upon the training and morale of the
State forces. Doubt has been ex-
pressed in certain quarters as to the
legality of the Presidents action in
Withholding this armory drill pay.
Armory drill pay is apportioned to
the States in direct ratio az to theiI
strength at the time the apportion-
ment is made. As a result of this sit
uation some States will have more
drills than other States, /. e.. a well
trained, disciplined and we'll developed
organization out of an enrolment of
10 men will have perhaps 60 attend
ing the drills. On the other hand, an
organization of only so men, whose
morale and training is not so high,
will have an average attendance of
only 40.
The maximum number of drills
authorized per year is so and the
minimum authorized allowance is AS
Accordingly, 1t rests entirely with the
state as to the number of drills they
Will have within the amount of money
appropriated. On the basis of the per-
centage at the present time it costs
about S220,O00 for one armory drill
of the entire National Gaurd
Ten million dollars was appropri-
ated for armory drill pay this year,
which Will provide for approximately
40 drills throughout the United States
In 1928 the cost of armory drills in
tho National Guard was about s54
per capita of the total average
1924 this figure had Increased to ap-
proNtmately SIS per capita, and in
1925, the present firscal year, IL is
costing at least $50 per capita.
Though the cost is higher, this indl-
Gates healthy state of the National
Guard as to training, discipline and
morale. Due 10 this increase, the Ma
tloHal Guard was confronted with the
deficiency appropriation of 81, ,332, 900,
or reducing the number of drills TO
come within the s10,200000 already
appropriated.
National Guardsmen, seeing this de-
hciency went before Congress and
asked for this amount This was
done by reappropriating 1882, 900
from the funds which were surplus
In 1923, and hence would revert to
the Treasury. This was submitted to
the Budget Bureau and the President,
IL
as the request was never submitted
10 Congress by the President How
ever, this was provided by the Con-
gresS and was contained in the sec
ond deficiency bill approved March 4.
1925
In 1922, when this appropriation
was being made, il could not be
foreseen by the National Guard that
the cost Of armory drill would jump
from s54 in 1928 to s62 in 1925, and
Congress did at that time appropri-
ate for what they thought was a suf-
ticient amount for a National Guard
strength of 10000. Congress proved
its good faith by making this re-
appropriation of S1,332. 900 to piece
out the original appropriation when
1t was brought to it's attention
that il was insufficient.
The view is held in certain quar-
ters that the right of the President
to withhold this appropriation is
doubtful. Those making this conten-
tion quote their authority Section
119 of the national defense act, as
amended, which reads as follows:
THE Secretary of War shall cause to
be estimated annually the amount
necessary for carrying out the pro-
visions of so much of this act as re-
lates to the militia, and no money
shall be expended under said pro-
visions except as shall from time to
time be appropriated for carrying
them out" Having approved this ap
p-opriation when he signed the bill,
it is insisted the President cannot le-
galIy hold up the disbursement of
these funds.
More citizens military training
camps in 1925 have been approved by
the War Department, the primary
reason for which is the increase in
the consequent saving in transporta-
ton charges. In addition to this,
there is valid argument for smaller
camps in the fact that nearby loca-
tion makes it less difficult for parents
to visit their sons in training and for
the public generally to get an inti-
mate knowledge of the camps. The
belief is held by officers who have
had experience as camp commanders
that under the training schedule
smaller groups of young men can be
handled more advantageously.
This year new citizens military
training camps will be located at 1
Fort Williams. Me-, in the 1st Corps
Area; Camp Eustis, Va, in the Sd;
Fort Oglethorpe, Ga, in the 4th; Fort
Benjamin Harrison. Ind, in the 5th:
Jefferson Barracks Mo, in the 9Th;
Forts Crockett and Bliss land Dali
las), Tex, in the 8th: Fort D. A
Russell. Wyo., and Fort George H
Wright, Wash, in the eth.
All or these new camps, it is inter
esttng to note, are located at sites
rich In historic associations. 1t needs
little Imagination to cluster around
Fort Williams typical stories of New
England pioneers; Fort Eustis lies
In the tidewater country near York
town and jamestown, filled with
many memories of colonial and revo-
lutionary days; Fort OgIetho1pe,
where there will be a Cavalry camp is
in Chattanooga, mindful of the heroic
struggle of the Blue and the Gray
at Lookout Mountain: Fort Benjamin
Harrison is located in a section full
OF stories about the French and In
dian days; Crockett and Bliss are
eloquent of frontier years In the Lone
Star State; Fort d. A. Russell brings
10 mind the exciting experiences of
indian fighting after the Civil War.
while Fort Wright will bring the
young training camp students back
10 the development of the great
Northwest territory
AS a result of the inter evinced
by reserve officers of the Medical De-
partment residing in Washington and
vicinity In the organization and in
struction of the military phases of
this department, a meeting win he
held Tuesday at Sis pm. at reserve
headquarters, Graham Building, for
the purpose of perfecting this or
ganizatton. The meeting will be con-
Quoted by Lieut. Col John Scott,
Infantry, executive officer of the Or.
ganized Reserves in Washington. Mai
Glenn l. Jones, Medical Corps, on duty