Evening Republican, Volume 59, Number 71, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 March 1917 — 14 REGIMENTS OF EASTERN GUARD CALLED [ARTICLE]

14 REGIMENTS OF EASTERN GUARD CALLED

Wilson Acts to Place Nation On Warr Basis—Order Navy Recruited to Its Full War Strength. Washington, March 25.—President Wilson took steps today to place the nation on a war footing. By executive order he directed that the navy be recruited without delay to full authorized war strength of 87,000 enlisted men. Taken in connection with emergency naval construction already ordered, this means that the president had exercised the full limit of his legal powers as commander-in-chief to prepare the navy for war. For the. army, the president directed that two new military departments tye created in the Atlantic coast* region. The order means that the task 'of organizing whatever army congress may authorize will be divided among six department commanders instead of four, in the interests of speed and efficiency in mobilization.— — -

The third step was to assume as a national duty the task of protecting American industries from domestic disorders in the event of hostilities. For this punpose eleven full infantry regiments, two separate and one separate company of national guard were called back into the federal service to act as national police in important districts. (Supplementing these troops, a regiment of Pennsylvania guard and two companies of Georgia infantry, enroute home from the border for muster out, were ordered retained in the fedral service.

The president’s orders were made known in terse official statements issued by the state department. No explanations accompanied them except the statement that reorganization of the military department, effective May ll,_was designated to facilitate decentralization of command. The navy must enroll immediately approximately 26,000 men to reach the required strength. Secretary Daniels supplemented it tonight with personal telegrams to newspaper editors all over the country, urging them to aid the department in every way in their power to obtain the men. The war department statement folIbWSi “Many states have deemed it advisable to call out the national guard for police purposes of protection. As the necessity for such steps arises from ’ issues which are more national than local, it has been deemed advisable by the president to call into federal service for the above mentioned purpose several organizations of guards.