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THE BEGINNING OF THE NEW MILITIA

SYSTEM

THE ACT TO PROMOTE THE EFFICIENCY OF THE MILITIA

The need for some well defined scheme for the coördination and coöperation of the regular army with the state militia and volunteers in case of war had been demonstrated both in the Civil War and in the war with Spain. Secretary Root called attention to this subject in his annual report for 1899, and urged the necessity of legislation under which in such an emergency the regulars and volunteers should constitute a homogeneous body, using the same arms, familiar with the same drill, answering to the same ideas of discipline, inspired by the same spirit, and capable of an equal and even performance." The Act of March 2, 1899, under which the army serving in the Philippines was created, partly out of the old regular force, partly by new recruits in the regular establishment, and partly by additional volunteer regiments, was a long step toward the attainment of this homogeneity. Mr. Root returned to the subject in his annual reports for 1901 and 1903, with the result that on January 21, 1903, there was passed by Congress "an act to Promote the Efficiency of the Militia and for other purposes," which was supplemented by an appropriation of $2,000,000 in the Army Appropriation Act of March 2, 1903. In his annual report for 1903, Secretary Root outlines in detail his ideas of the plan and method of the reorganization of the state militia, which should be effected under this act. The act in question is quoted in full at the close of this section.

That later thought and observation finally strengthened the views regarding the National Guard to be found in Mr. Root's reports as Secretary of War, is shown by the following passages from a letter to Mr. Robert Bacon, which Mr. Root wrote to be read before the annual meeting of the National Security League, held in Washington, January 20, 21, 22, 1916:

It is idle to talk of developing the National Guard itself into an adequate army for national defense, and any such attempt would inevitably result in the failure of the whole movement and the waste of all the energy and effort devoted to it. The National Guard are primarily state troops for state purposes, and they must continue to be so. The power to raise them and to train them and to appoint their officers rests with the separate states. Under the enlightened policy of the militia act of January 1, 1903, they have been fitted to render most useful service, primarily in coast defense, in coöperation with the national army in time of war. In the time of peace they are rendering a most useful service, by training in the elements of military service a great number of young Americans, to whom the President may turn when he seeks suitable men to be appointed officers in the national army.

The idea, however, that these forty-eight different bodies of troops, with officers appointed by forty-eight different governors, can be made the basis for

developing an effective mobile national army, is quite absurd. An effective army must be built up on the principle of complete unity of control. This can never be attained by developing forty-eight different bodies under forty-eight different governors, and, up to the time of war, under the direction of fortyeight different commanders-in-chief. This characteristic of the National Guard cannot be changed except by amending the Constitution of the United States, which, if practicable, would require many years, and if that were done, the result would simply be, not to develop an army upon the National Guard, but to destroy the National Guard, and to develop an army on an entirely different basis.

It seems perfectly clear to me that any effort in the direction of developing a National Guard into the required national army of defense will be worse than thrown away, because it will result in the miscarriage of the whole effort.

Let me add another practical observation. The proposal to create an adequate national army of defense involves a good deal of a shock to many Americans who do not appreciate the reasons for the great enlargement of our military forces. Many of them are afraid of militarism; they are incredulous as to the necessity; they are disinclined to incur the expense. The progress of the cause in which you are enlisted requires a good deal of education, and many, I fear, alas, need to have the true spirit of American patriotism reawakened in them.

The same view is true as to the navy. Building up the military and naval establishments to the point where they ought to be will be slow work, and we ought to begin without further delay. The people of the country will deal with their representatives for all inadequacies and shortcomings in this vital matter. But in the meanwhile let us take the first steps on any sort of a programme that is directed toward the goal we ought to attain a trained and always available national citizen soldiery under the instruction and administration and formative leadership of an adequate though small regular army.

The reader should also see Mr. Root's letter to Lieutenant-General S. B. M. Young, which concludes this volume.

MILITIA AND VOLUNTEERS

Extract from the Report of the Secretary of War for 19011

TH

HE present provisions of law relating to the militia, and to the raising of volunteer forces, are quite imperfect and unsatisfactory. The militia law stands today virtually as it was enacted in 1792, and is practically obsolete. It is very desirable that Congress should now exercise the power conferred upon it by the Constitution to provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining the militia. The organization and

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armament of the National Guards of the several states, which are treated as militia in the appropriations made by Congress, should be made the same as those provided by Congress for the regular and volunteer forces. The relations of the National Guard organizations to the national forces, and the obligations and duties of those organizations in time of war, should be clearly defined, so that the confusion and distress regarding their action which accompanied the outbreak of the war with Spain may not again occur.

The reliance of the country for the large forces necessary in modern warfare must necessarily be chiefly upon volunteers. The method and procedure of raising volunteer forces should be prescribed in advance, so that instead of waiting to devise plans for a volunteer army until the excitement and haste of impending war makes perfection of design difficult and satisfactory execution impossible, Congress will have but to direct the execution of a well-understood plan by officers, each one of whom has long been familiar with the part he is to play. It is desirable that any plans adopted should provide for utilizing, in the earlier volunteer organizations called out, the training of those citizens who shall have served already in the regular and volunteer forces. If the earlier volunteer organizations can be constituted of these trained men, much valuable time and expense can be saved, and many dangers may be averted during the period the ordinary volunteers are receiving the necessary training. Provision should also be made for the selection in advance of the officers of any volunteer force which may be raised. Careful selection is impossible at the outbreak of a war. It is entirely practicable in time of peace.

I recommend that the President be authorized to convene boards of officers (including the General Service and Staff College Board) for the examination of officers of the National Guard, and other citizens who may apply to be examined, as

to their qualifications to hold volunteer commissions; that the persons passing such examinations shall receive certificates, stating the office for which they are found to be qualified, and upon the calling out of a volunteer force shall be entitled to receive commissions for such offices.

I recommend that the War Department be authorized to arm the National Guard with the present service small arms used by the regular army, navy, and marine corps; that the National Guard of the several states be treated as a first reserve, to be called into the service of the United States to execute the laws of the Union, suppress insurrections, and repel invasions, the term of service under any call to be limited to nine months; that the President be authorized, on the request of the governor of any state, to detail officers of the regular army for instruction, staff, and inspection duties with the National Guard of such state; that the War Department be authorized to furnish transportation, rations, and tentage to officers and men of National Guard organizations, who shall take part with the forces of the regular army in annual encampments and maneuvers at national military camps; that the Department be authorized to allow travel pay, commutation of rations and quarters, or commutation of quarters, to officers of the National Guard attending and regularly taking part in the courses of instruction at the General Service and Staff College at Fort Leavenworth. Both of these provisions should be within reasonable limits, proportional to the numbers of National Guard organizations in the several states.

I recommend that the President be now empowered to organize the volunteer forces whenever called out, in the manner provided for by the act of March 2, 1899, for the organization of the volunteer force which has recently returned from the Philippines, with such modifications as shall be necessary to give effect to the views above expressed.