1910] OF THE SENATE. 179

[Which was read and referred to the Committee. on
Finance. ]

Also:

To the President of the Senate of Maryland.
DEAR SIR:

Following a request by the Brig. -Gen. Charles D. Gaither,
I, as commander of the Western Maryland Battalion of the
First Maryland Infantry, Maryland National Guard, have
submitted to General Foster, Chairman of the National Guard
Legislative Committee, a report and argument in support of
the position taken by the National Guard Association of the
United States at its recent convention in San Francisco, advo-
cating a large increase in a Federalized National Guard with
direct Federal pay.

The report is as follows:

"A reasonable increase in the Regular Army is imperative.
If it would be possible to enlist a sufficient number of men,
the entire increase recommended by the general staff of the
Army should be allowed. While this calls for a total force
of 281, 000 men, when you deduct 20, 000 Philippine scouts,
30, 000 men in the Medical, Quartermaster and Ordnance De-
partments, 7, 500 coast artillery and 74, 500 mobile troops in
our over-sea possessions, together with 27, 000 coast artillery
in the United States, we have left only 121, 000 mobile com-
batant troops, divided as follows: 36 infantry, 30 cavalry and
15 artillery regiments. This increase appears reasonable un-
der our present condition of affairs.

"Garrison's Plan Impractical.

"The question of citizen soldiery, however, is best answered
through the National Guard. The Continental Army project
recommended by the Secretary of War is not based upon
the experience of the only men who have had real experience
with the present-day citizen soldiery. It is admitted that
there would be little difficulty to secure officers for this
Continental Army, but what about the problem of the private
soldier? He represents 90 per cent, of any army and must
be secured from the same class of men who enlist in the
National Guard.

"In the past week I have inspected three National Guard
companies and I did not find a single man who could afford
to remain in a training camp for a period of 60 days, as sug-
gested for a Continental Army. Furthermore, their obli-