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Show NATIONAL GUARD STATUS IS NOW VASTLY IMPROVED Expert in Military Game Says New System Adopted Adopt-ed by the Federal Government Is Appreciated by Soldiers. By First Lieutenant Uoyd Garrison, N. G. U. VOLUMES have been written concerning con-cerning the necessity for preparedness pre-paredness and street corner era tors and debating societies, to say nothing of more august personages and bodies, have worked themselves into a state of excitement over the relative merits of much or little preparedness for war. The consensus of opinion developed devel-oped by all this argument is apparently that the people of this country are in favor of adequate preparedness, that they do not consider the present land and naval forces at all adequate, but that it is entirely unnecessary to maintain main-tain armaments on the scale of those maintained by some foreign powers. It is hot the purpose of this article to discuss I the merits of preparedness, but rather to deal with concrete facts, using as a basis the foregoing conclusion as to the opinion of the people in regard to the subject. Any discussion of this subject naturally natur-ally divides itself into two phases; first, the conditions that prevailed prior to the mobilization for the Mexican trouble and which still prevail to a greater or lesser extent ; second, tho process of transformation now going on and the conditions it will develop. System Was in Error. Under the system that prevailed prior to June 3, 1916, the control of the national na-tional guard rested mainly in the states. The guard was supplied with equipment by the state, records wore kept cniefly on blanks supplied by the state, and if members were paid, it was by the state, except while the troops were on their national encampment. The state itself kept an account with the federal government, govern-ment, and there was no direct property accountability on the part of commanding command-ing officers, "as is the case in the regular regu-lar army. The men charged with the property accounts by the state were civilians, their chief pursuit in life was the obtaining of a livelihood, and military mili-tary matters did not receive the consideration con-sideration that they merit. It was impossible im-possible to attain the efficiency that is obtained in the regular army" by men whose only business it is to look after matters of this kind, by the double method of accounts with its attendant laxity. The inevitable result was that commanding officers sometimes overdrew over-drew on some articles Rnd underdrew on others, instead of conforming to the regulations; there was a very general ignorance of the fornu-t and records re-i re-i quired by the war department, stocks i of supplies and equipment were allowed to run below the quantities required for peace strength; the general apathy and the opposition of labor rendered it hard to keep up the enlisted strength, and physical disabilities were sometimes disregarded dis-regarded because of the urgent need for men; and the constant shiltiug of men kept the ranks filled with recruits. Inefficiency Demonstrated. The general mobilization ordered by the proident on J uue ly showed very clearly the very serious deiec ts of the system then in vogue. Guard units ordered or-dered to the border were inadequately equipped ; many of the new recruits were not uniturmed and had no arms; men who had been trained were rejected re-jected for physical defects and their places filled by untrained men; the war department did not have on hand sufficient suf-ficient clothing of the proper kind, and it was impossible to obtain summer clothing until the end of the season, while winter clothing was not obtainable at the beginning of winter. In short, the national guard was very poorly prepared pre-pared to enter the service, and the service serv-ice was just as poorly prepared to receive re-ceive it. The Utah troops were more fortunate in these matters than the average. This state is one of the very few that had made a practice of paying its troops. The personnel was of a high grade, and not to exceed 5 per cent ot the men were rejected for physical detects. There was some delay in getting ruvalry equipment which had been requisitioned, but when the troops started for the bor-1 der they were fully equipped and clothed, had been examined physically and had been inoculated for typhoid and smallpox. Despite this, however, it was tme month after the first squadron reached Nogales before it received its horses, and another month before shoes could be obtained to fit the horses. Situation Realized. The .military authorities had long realized the gravity of existing conditions, condi-tions, and ou June 3 the national do-fense do-fense act was passed. This is now the law unaer wnicn a system or national defense far more adequate than anything any-thing we have previously had is being planned. The purposes of this law are to provide pro-vide an adequate military force, trained and equipped. Its terms provide for forces of 210,000 in the regular army and 450,000 in the national guard. These are to be built up gradually and attain full strength at the end of five years. The national guard troops are divided among states in proportion to the representation rep-resentation in congress, and Utah's ultimate ulti-mate share is 4200. Of these 1000 must be in service by July 1, 1917. The aet is a compromise between the old states rights ideas and complete federal control. con-trol. Whatever may be the views of individuals in-dividuals in the matter, it is likely that the composite idea represented by this j law is as nearly the correct one as can I be arrived at under the existing conditions. condi-tions. Under its terms the national guard is under federal control and sub-,iect sub-,iect only to the call of the president. State adjutant generals are agents of the federal government and have a general gen-eral supervision over all property and money. All equipment is supplied by the federal government; mounted organizations or-ganizations maintain one-half the horses required for active service, and the war deoartment knows, as nearly as it is possible pos-sible to know such things, the number of men it will be called upon to equip in the event of a sudden call. An inspector-instructor detailed by the war department has direct supervision of the troops, and all organizations must maintain main-tain a certain standard of efficiency or they will be replaced by others; ofTirers, also, must reach a certain standard or they cannot hold their commissions. Functions of State. Despite the fact, however, that so much of the former state control has been vested in the federal government, there still remain some very important functions for the state to perform. The authors of the law realized the value of local influence and knowledge. Appointment Ap-pointment of officers is made from residents resi-dents of the state by the adjutant general, gen-eral, subject to examination and approval appro-val by the war department; also armories armor-ies and stables are furnished by the state; but the most important of all tfl'e duties imposed upon the state is that of maintaining its organizations at a minimum mini-mum peace strength. The federal government gov-ernment equips and pays the guard, but the state must provide recruits sufficient suffi-cient to maintain the strength ; ol her-wise her-wise federal aid is withdrawn. This feature places the issue squarely before the states. If they desire to retain even their present status in the scheme of national defense, they must work hand! in hand with the federal government and: keep their troops up to the required standard. If they cannot do this the, present scheme is an absolute failure and must give way to one wholly dif-j ferent. i Whether the present scheme will be! a success or a failure time alone can! tell. It undoubtedly possesses consid-' erable merit, for it partakes of the ele-1 ments of local government that have always been at the foundation of our ! national life; it engenders that local i pride that is so productive of strenuous I effort to excel; and it allows the ap- pointment of officers known both to the, men and to the people of the locality from which the men come, and these officers are primarily responsible for the success or failure of the local organization. or-ganization. 1 Is Vast Improvement. Be these things as they may, the new system is a vast improvement over the one it superseded. Under th.; old arrangement ar-rangement the guard met with great opposition from the labor interests, but the fact that the president alone can now call it out for any purpose has lessened les-sened the antagonism of labor very materially. ma-terially. As now constituted, the guard festers athletics and provides facilities which enable its members to indulge in various athletic contests without becoming becom-ing members of gymnasium classes or similar organizations; its members can indulge in the splendid, but rather expensive, ex-pensive, sport of rifle shooting ; it teaches discipline and sanitation; and here in Utah its members have access to the horses maintained for the use of each troop by the federal government. In addition to all these advantages offered of-fered its members by the guard, the United States pays the enlisted men one-fourth of regular army pay and the officers are also paid, but less in pro-i pro-i portion. This enables both officers and i men to devote the time to the guard I work it merits. Some patriotic editors whose chief idea of their duty to the country seems to be to criticise the hon1 est endeavors of other men, have re ferred to this feature as a grait, but these men have always in tho past, when there was uo pav ior this work, been verv willing to al'iow the men they now criticise to' do their military duty for them. Certainly, however, no one who has had experience with the amount ot work necessary to keep the guard in running order," can take such a charge seriously. People Given the Facts. However, neither recrimination nor argument is the obiect of this article-L article-L is designed onlv to place the sober facts before the people ot the state. '1 he experience of Europe has taught us that, not unlv possiblv, but piobalny, we shall be called upon' to use all our vast resources re-sources in a war of self-defense. Then every employer must del end his home and "property; every employee must defend de-fend his home and'his interests in that which returns him his livelihood. Our apathv will only return us grief. Must we wait until war threatens before we are so interdependent upon one another, Hgrce to work together, or will the em-plover em-plover continue to penalize his employee who must be absent two weeks on tho annual encampment; and will other employees em-ployees look askance on military service because it mav protect tho property of their employers? It is not the desire o! manv people to see this country militaristic", militar-istic", it is the almost unanimous desire of the whole people to be adequately prepared. As President Richmond of the Salt Lake Commercial club said in his welcome to the members of the bat-terv: bat-terv: "We don't want to train our boys to fight, but we do want so to train them that thev can't be licked." The present law is "designed to do that. When compared with the troops of other states : the Utah troops have made a splendid ; record, both in the Spanish-American war and in the recent trouble. Now the ! United States government has "put it up" to the state of Utah to maintaiu that record. To date onlv troops B, C. D. P and II of all the Utah organizations organiza-tions have been able to qualify as to numbers and have been ree'jgiMr.ed as to units in the national guard of the United States. It will be necessary to increase the number of men in Utah's guard by nearly 500 before Julv 1. What will the people of the state do about it? Will the fathers and mothers of the state help or will they deter their sons from entering the guard? Will the employers penalize or compensate tho man who desires to perform this duty? Will we all do our share or will we shirk and let someone else train to protoct us? What will we do with it? |
