Tactical walks for officers and non-commissioned officers are an excellent means of instruction—these supplement the other exercises. The big maneuvers are very largely for general officers and very little for regimental officers. We need the foundation before we build the superstructure. As much ground should be covered during the camp as is consistent with efficient instruction. No attempt should be made to cover the whole art of war in a week as it only results in confusion of ideas and gives little or no benefit. [Sidenote: Service with regular companies] If the law would permit a few national guardsmen to serve for short periods in the regular army it would help greatly towards uniformity of training and improve the non-commissioned personnel of the guard. These men should be allowed to so serve for three months during the company’s field training period or for one month during the indoor season; not more than five should be assigned to any one company. They should receive the regular’s pay and rations and, if joining for the three months period, one complete service uniform; the one-month men should bring their uniforms with them. This privilege should be granted only to men who have still one year more to serve in their enlistment in the guard and who are recommended by their captains. They should be excused from post guard and all fatigue duty and in place of that receive additional instruction work each day. In order to obtain the most benefit, these men should be attached to those companies whose training is the best; in an indifferently trained company they would get some benefit but it would be little in comparison with what they would receive in the other class. This recommendation is made from having recently seen the results of having a few men of the national guard join an excellent regular company for a short period. These men came without pay and themselves paid their board while with the company. There would probably be no large number who would so serve, but there are some and we are in no condition in this country to overlook even small helps that will contribute towards fitting us for war. [Sidenote: Value in war] Owing to the small peace strength of most of these regiments and the large number of recruits they must take in on the outbreak of war, their value will depend on the time they will require to be fit for the field at war strength. They have the organization in working shape. Their officers will, in the majority of regiments, be men who have had considerable training. If they will follow a logical and systematic course of training in peace, the officers will be familiar with it and will be experienced instructors, and all their old men will have the instruction to a certain degree so that they can help drag up the recruits. All this will help to shorten the time required to fit them for the field and every day thus cut off adds greatly to their value.