We hope so. We hope that we are in no danger from attack from without, now or ever-but how about attack from within? Are we equally immune? Institutions, including governments, have been destroyed quite as frequently and effectually by attacks from within as from without.

We

hear a lot of talk these days, loose talk, strong talk, and in increasing amount. If it keeps on growing in volume and quality may it not embolden some one, some day, to start something which will require the aid of military power to suppress?

And that is the answer.

I

Chaplains Beware

A clergyman was having tea with a family newly settled in the parish. On the sideboard were several decanters, filled with what looked like spirits. "My friend," he said to his hostess, "you should avoid even the appearance of evil. I do not suggest that you drink, but ""

"Why, vicar, they're only filled with furniture polish. It's the decanters I like; they're so pretty." "Exactly," said the vicar, "Avoid even the appearance of evil, I repeat. I helped myself to a drink from the big decanter in the middle."

National Guard Department

The Conference

HE conference of General Staff

and National Guard officers convened by the Secretary of War on November 10 to study National Guard problems is still in session. Up to the time the JOURNAL goes to press nothing had been announced as to what recommendations this body will make as a result of their deliberations.

Up to November 25 the conference held open its doors to National Guard officers and others whose opin ions were desired and who could present them in person. The following Adjutants General appeared be fore the conference: Florence, Ohio; Bersey, Michigan; Charnock, West Virginia; Metts, North Carolina; Moon, Alabama; Rhinow, Minnesota; Beary, Pennsylvania; Barrett, Oklahoma; Ellison, Delaware. Brigadier General Anton Stephen, Commanding General, District of Columbia Militia,

manding the 53d Infantry Brigade, N. Y. N. G.

Although it is realized that no great amount of credence can be given rumors, it may be said that various reports are in circulation indicating that the conference will recommend to the Secretary of War the elimination of Corps, Army and G. H. Q. Troops included in the National Guard allotment and not already organized. It has also been reported that a recommendation will be made to assign a 155mm. field artillery regiment to each National Guard infantry division. Speculation along this line is of no value for, until the recommendations made by the conference are actually passed upon by the Secretary of War, there can be no cértainty as tainty as to the outcome of their labors.

also made a statement, as did Colonel C

J. M. Rogers, representing the Adjutant General of New Jersey, Colonel H. D. Russell, for the Adjutant General of Georgia, and Major General M. J. Foreman, for the Adjutant General of Illinois. In addition to the Adjutants General that have appeared before the conference the following Adjutants General are members of that body: Brigadier General M. A. Reckord, Maryland; Brigadier General C. I. Martin, Kansas; Lieut. Col. L. A. Toombs, Louisiana. New York is represented on the conference by Brigadier General F. W. Ward, com

I

How to Get a Recruit ORPORAL OLSON, the efficient clerk of Company F, 162d Infantry, Salem, Ore., gives the following suggestion for getting a recruit. The fact that fifteen men have joined his organization within the last three weeks, leads us to believe there is something in it besides words:

Get a recruit. How? If you can put a proposition before a real business man in a manner such that he can not fail to realize its merit the deal is closed. Sign on the dotted line. If you can put the proposition of an enlistment in the National Guard before a real live patriotic man in such a manner that he can not fail to see the benefits to himself, community, state, and country, not only

from a selfish pecuniary standpoint, but socially, physically and that desire to boost a good thing along, he signs. on the dotted line and is glad to hold up his hand. Let that man, if possible be a leader in high school, college, fraternity, or civil organization and the chances are he will bring with him several of his friends.-The Oregon Guardsman.

Cost of National Guard Field
Training
FROM the official reports on hand

in the Militia Bureau covering the encampment attendance of all but half a dozen National Guard units during the past summer training period, the Bureau has tabulated a total aggregate attendance of 126,558. The aggregate enrolled strength of the units sending this number to camp amounted to 156,347. The average encampment attendance for this year was therefore about 81 per cent of the total enrolled strength.

The few remaining units to be covered by official reports will raise the encampment attendance to about 127,600. To pay for the field training of this force the sum of approximately $7,273,000 was spent, including some $293,000 expended from the 1922 appropriation, on units that went to camp before June 30, 1922.

Dividing the amount spent by the

enough to be a source of concern. It is likely that the average cost would have been slightly reduced but for the interference of service on strike duty with the encampment attendance in a number of States. One or more units in Alabama, Georgia, Kansas, Missouri, New York and Ohio, were excused from encampment attendance because of having been on prolonged strike duty and in the States of New Mexico and Colorado no National Guard encampments at all were held. In those States where certain units were excused the cost of the field training for the individual was a little higher than would have been the case had the complete National Guard force attended the encampments because the overhead charge remained the same regardless of the reduced attendance.

Militia Bureau calculations show that it costs the Federal Government about $210 per year to equip, train, and maintain every National Guard officer and enlisted man enrolled. Of this amount $57 covers the field encampment training, $83 the armory instruction, and $70 covers all remaining items, such as equipment, replacements, etc.

-Note for All Unit Commanders

number of men receiving encampment BEFORE you know it, the date for

instruction and we have the figure of $57.00 to represent the cost of the individual National Guardsman's fifteen days' field training last summer.

This figure is slightly higher than the $56.26 established as the average fifteen-day field training cost up to this year, but the increase is not

the next annual inspection will be rolling around, and if you have any property which should be acted on by a survey officer and it hasn't been done, you are going to be sorry. All shortages should be cleared up and any property condemned at the last inspection should be gotten off your papers. Now don't say "Oh, well, it's

a couple months before inspection, there's plenty of time." If everybody did that, what a lovely time the survey officer would have, and what a fine humor he would be in, and of course he could clean them all up in twenty-four hours couldn't he? Get out your little pencil right now, before you read the next item, and make a note on your cuff or somewhere to attend to this matter.-Monthly Bulletin No. 20, Ga. N. G.

HE New York authorities do not miss a single trick in the game of recruiting for their National Guard. They maintain a Recruiting Bulletin which serves the same purpose for the State as the Federal Recruiting News does for the Regular Army.

In a recent issue of the Bulletin, Major Dedell, 10th Infantry, N. Y. N. G., submitted "an approved solution' of the recruiting problem, from which the following extract is lifted:

Summarized, the scheme calls for a monthly barrage, zero hour constant, the offensive to be assumed and the slogan to be "Try, Try Again."

To maintain a steady and healthy recruitment for an organization, onethird of the full strength should be enrolled every year for three-year periods, and this one-third should be equally divided into monthly quotas as per the following table which is based on the maintenance strength. The full authorized strength may be substituted if desired in which case the monthly quota will, of course, be a little larger.

The table referred to shows for the

basic units of each regiment the maintenance strength, the yearly enlistments required and the monthly quotas based on the yearly figure. Thus an Infantry rifle company has a maintenance strength of 65 enlisted, which requires a yearly enlistment of 22 men for the three-year periods and this in turn means an enlistment of two men each month.

Some of the advantages of the above plan may be cited:

(a) It affords a definite objective to be reached each month.

(b) After the necessary number have been secured for any month, recruiting need cause no further worry during that period.

(c) Under this plan a gradual change in the personnel of an organization takes place due to the fact that the recruits come in a few at a time throughout the year and as a consequence men leave the organization in the same manner.

(d) A steady-growing and healthy organization is maintained.

(e) With recruits being received in small groups more care can be taken in giving these men the right start and in furnishing them good equipment.

Major Dedell testifies that this plan has met with success in his battalion. The method, of course, is an ideal one and it may not be possible to follow it exactly but it gives the organization officers and noncommissioned officers something to aim at. Likely looking eligible men would, of course, be accepted at any time and if such men presented themselves in sufficient numbers their enrollment, added to the required monthly gain, would mean a healthy increase in strength for the organization.