Evening Republican, Volume 59, Number 95, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 May 1917 — ALL MILITIA TO BE CALLED IN NEW WEEKS [ARTICLE]

ALL MILITIA TO BE CALLED IN NEW WEEKS

Allies May Send Officers to Train Soldiers For America—Hard Work Expected For the Guard. Washington, D. C., May 11.—With the plan of the new national army perfected, the administration began today speeding up the machinery which will turn out American troops for the European firing line. Here are the principal developments of the day: The administration took under consideration an offer by France and England to send 1,000 officers, disqualified by wounds from active service, to replace for arm- training purposes in this country an equal number of American officers for the first American expeditionary force to France.

The president contemplates fixing a date about June 1 for the registration of the 10,000,000 men between i2L and 30 years of age from whom not less than 500/XX) and possibly 800,000 will be drafted into the army. The war department is planning to call out and mobilize in training camps all the national guard units by June 15, if sufficient equipment can be provided by that time. * ; The transformation of regular army and national guard cavalry regiments into artillery units is 'Under consideration because of the fact that cavalry has been of little use in this war. Pro-Roosevelt and anti-Roosevelt congressmen predicted victory in the fight that will take place in the house tomorrow over the question of rejecting the conference report on the army bill and forcing the inclusion bf the amendment authorizing Col. Roosevelt to raise and lead one or more divisions of volunteers to France. The offer of the French and English military officers to the United States was made in the course of the negotiations with the British and French war missions. Until today the best information obtainable fixed the probable date for call in <r out the national guard at July T. There now is a chance that the date may be advanced to June 15. Every national guard unit fit for federal service will be called into service. They will be concentrated in large units, divisions wherever possible, and brigades elsewhere. These units will be put to work at intensive drilling. 'National guard units which have not been recruited to war strength by the time the mobilization order is ready will be filled by the selective draft, which the president is empowered to invoke for this' purpose. The determination of the .government to fill the regular army and national guard by the draft wifi mean that besides the firlst increment of 500,000 for the new army, there will be drawn from the 10,000,000 men between 21 and 30 years inclusive, who will register for conscription, an indefinite number of men to- Serve in the branches of the service already organized. This may result in drafting from 700,000 to 800,000 instead of 500,000 men at once.