Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-11-24
Senior Infantry Instructor,
Speaking Before Unitarian
Laymen's League Describes
Present Scheme of National
Defense-DecIares Efficiency
of Guard Units Reflects Atti-
tude of the Community

Demonstrating that in time of
peace as we'll as during national
emergencies the National Guard is
a valuable asset to the State of
Maine, Major Wallace C. Philoon,
senior instructor of infantry, Maine
National Guard, addressed the mem
bers of All Souls Chapter Of the
Unitarian Laymen's League at their
meeting Monday evening in the par
lors of AL Souls church.
A National Guard unit is largely
the reflection of the discipline,
energy and character of it's COM
mander; and the commander, in
turn, is very largely influenced by
the interest and support which the
community in which he lives, gives
him, Major Philoon pointed out, as
sorting that those communities
which have the most efficient Ma
tional Guard units are almost invar-
iably those which show the greatest
interest and the best support of
those units.
One of the greatest deficiencies in
the Guard of the State at present is
the matter of armories, the speaker
declared. He said that he had been
informed upon excellent authority
that there is no hall in Gardiner
suitable for a National Guard unit
and that the present armory in Bel
fast is disgrace to the community
as place in which to trainMhe Ma
tional Guard company. ThDCity of
Lewiston, he asserted, deserves great
credit for the construction of its
beautiful new armory. The avail
ability of such a building for train
ing makes the upkeep of excellent
companies easy. .
An excellent supper was served at
the opening of the meeting. follow
ing which Major Philoon was in
troduced by Samuel NJ. Holway, vice
president of the club. Taking for his
subject, What the National Guard
Means to the State of Maine" the
senior infantry instructor brought
home many important facts concern
ing the guard and it's support, hold
ing the interest of his audience.
Scheme of National Defense
He showed how the National
Guard fits into the scheme of Ma
tional Defense. Under the terms of
the National Defense Act as amend
ed in 1920 we have Regular army,
a National Guard and Organized Re-
serves. Under that system of Ma
tional defense the regular army and
the National Guard constitute the
first line of defense. In determining
how the National Guard and the Orr
ganized Reserves should be organi-
zed throughout the United States,
country has been divided into nine
so-called corps areas. In each area
there would be organized in any
great emergency one Regular Army
division, two National Guard divi-
sions and three Reserves divisions.
At the present time there are only
two Regular" Army divisions and
two or three National Guard divi-
sions complete in this skeleton or
ganization due to the fact that suf-
ficient funds have not been appro-
priated by Congress to keep them
up to the authorized strength.
The State of Maine constitutes a
part of what is known as the First
Corps Area, which is the New Eng
land states In the State of Maine as
Regular Army contingent we have
the Fifth U. S. Infantry and one
company of Coast Artillery, all in
Portland harbor. In the National
Guard, we have the Headquarters of
the Infantry Brigade, one Infantry
regiment, one battalion of Field Ar
tillery and Regiment of Coast Artil-
lery, minus one battalion. In the
Organized Reserves, we have about
500 officers. In addition to these three
componants of the Army of the Unit
ed States, we have students at the
University of Maine and at Bangor
Higr school receiving military train
ing under Regular Army officers. A
few Maine men also attend one of the
several Citizens Military Training
Camps which are held during the
summer.
Guard Commanded by Governor
The Maine National Guard in time
Of peace is commanded by the Gov
ernor of the State and under the
Maine Military law he can call out
the Maine National Guard for any
emergency within the State. In adj
clifton, justice of the supreme judi
cial court or a sheriff of a county
ruay call for aid upon a commanding
officer of the Guard. In case of sud-
den and unexpected riots and dis
orders, the mayor of city or select
men of a town in the event of an
emergency SO imminent as to require
immediate action may request of the
commanding officer of an organization
assistance for the defense or the pro-
lection of the community.
Within the past few years units OF
the National Guard have been called
out or held in readiness to be called
out on several occasions. among them
Icing the fire at the States prison
at Thomaston, a brush fire at Bidde
ford this autumn which threatened
serious damage to the city of Bidde-
ford The National Guard companies
in Dover Foxcroft and Dexter were
requested few weeks ago by Gov
ernor Brewster to assist in locating
Col. Charles B. Dustin, private sccre-
tary to the Governor, who was re-
ported lost in the woods in the
Moosehead region while on hunting
trip. The lost hunter was found.
however, before. thee ompanies were
actually called out.
U. S. Military Funds for Maine
The United States furnished last
year to the State of Maine about
$3.50 900 in cash in addition to a
great amount of equipment to MAIN
tain the Guard units in the State.
During the same year. the State of
Maine appropriated about $4,000.
In other words. for every dollar ap-
propriated by the State the C. s