Evening star., 1935-02-10

IN AN effort to obtain support from
Congress IN the form Of increased
Federal appropriations for the or
/ ganization and training Of the
National Guard, the National
Guard Association of the United
States has prepared and is submit
ting to Congress an elaborately pre-
pared pamphlet outlining the position
OF the militia on present needs.
Beyond any doubt" the booklet
says, 'the principle on which the Or
ganization of the National Guard rests
is unassailable. But the principle Is
not being put into effect quite as its
importance demands. None of its
is complete. OF the Infantry divi-
sionS, all lack various parts essential
to their employment in campaigns.
Only one division has its full compli-
ment Of Artillery. One division has
no Engineer regiment, others lack
various companies Of Engineers. No
division but one has its required
complement of special troops or trains.
The 18 Infantry divisions are said by
experts to vary in completeness Of Or
ganization from 80 per cent to 76 per
cent, and the situation of the Cavalry
divisions is even worse.
Further, except for two weeks at or
en- route to and from camp, only 72
hours of training per year are pro-
.vided for. It has even been proposed
seriously to cut down the number of
paid drills, 81 a drill, per year to II.
And this in spite of the fact that al
most 40 per cent Of the Guard men,
bers were in 1884 out of regular en-
ployment and many of them even
lacked car fare to come to the drill
halls.
Congress cut in 1888 by so per
cent the maintenance allowance for
keeping uniforms repaired and clean
The States constantly looked to the
Guard, and frequently used it, to
maintain order in cases of public dis
turbance-to the everlasting honor of
the Guard, both sides in any public
quarrel generally welcoming their
presence, as in the instance of the
Kohler riot in Wisconsin last August,
when Gov. Schmedeman was urged by
the factory employers and employees
alike, and by the Sheboygan munich
pal authorities, to keep the Guards
men in Kohler Village as long as pos
slble; or even more strikingly in the
coal fields around Taylorville. ILL.,,
when both sides objected to the call
ing out of the Guard, and later were
still more inSistent that the Guard
should not be removed The effect of
this incompleteness Of organization,
and particularly of these small econo-
mics, for they are even in total very
small, on the men is not good. It is
not demoralizing, for the Guard as or
ganized stands too firmly for demoral-
ization, but it is distinctly weakening
OF morale"
The association proposes an appro-
priation Of $500 900 next year for
additional commissioned and enlisted
strength OF 10000 and for organization
of essential units to complete 18 Ma
tional Guard Infantry divisions. This
fund would be needed for initial equip
ment. The sum of $854, 900 is sought
for pay and maintenance costs for
this proposed increase in strength.
Under QuartermaSter supplies, the
association proposes an appropriation
of S1,500, 900, an increase of 81 900, 900
over present appropriations for articles
of uniform.
The association is supporting an ap-
preparation of s1,5O0,00O for the pro-
curement of motor vehicles, for which
there is no appropriation during the
current year. For the purchase of
1000 animals per year for five years