Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 February 1916 — NATIONAL GUARD ON HIGHER PLANE [ARTICLE]

NATIONAL GUARD ON HIGHER PLANE

Adjutant-General Badges’ Report Shows Increase In Numbers and Higher Efficiency. Indianapolis, Feb. 24.—1 n answer to statements of persons who have been criticising the Indiana National Guard, Frank L. Bridges, adjutantgeneral, has given Gov. Ralston a report in which he commends the assistance given him by members and -officers of the guard and in which ha shows statistics to support his assertion that the guard is in better shape in Indiana today than it ever has been. Although two infantry companies are needed to complete a brigade, there were 651 more officers and men on the rolls of the organization at the Jan. 1, 1914. At the close of 1915 and following the report of inspections by the government, 638 officers and men were refused further support from the government, but at the beginning of 1916, 2,930 men had been inspected and accepted by the government. Following this inspection a new company of seventy-two officers and men was recruited at Winamac. When this roster wias completed Bridges issued another order relative to “cleaning out the deadwood” and 151 men were discharged, but almost immediately 34 men were recruited, making the total figures 2,885 officers and men.

Much pride is being taken by members of the guard in the reports relative to attendance at federal inspections. The actual enrollment in 1913 was 2,476 men, but only 1,662 men attended regularly, while in 1915 the enrollment was 2,847 men and 2,057 attended. The result is a net gain in attendance of 23.7 per cent, according to Bridges. The records now being compiled by the various companies of the guard are being made under a severe handicap, as compared with previous years, as the qualifications necessary to receive federal support have been made higher, in fact, they are the qualificationis by which the regular army is judged. Despite this handicap, the records show the actual attendance at Camps of instruction held in 1915 was 2,445, while in 1914 it was only 1,898 and in 1913, only 1,885.