Evening Republican, Volume 59, Number 107, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 May 1917 — LOOK OUT MAY LOSE COMPAEY M [ARTICLE]

LOOK OUT MAY LOSE COMPAEY M

Company Must Be Recruited to War Strength or New Company Will Take Its Place.

Young men of Jasper county, it is up to you to preserve Company M and keep it dn the Indiana National Guard.; If the young men of this county pre-j fer volunteering bo conscription; if they would rather soldier with their friends and neighbors than take the. chance of being sent to fill out units’ in far parts of the country, it’s up to them, and thedr chance is to enlist in, Company M -prior to the day for registration, June sth. If the fathers and mothers of Jas--per county have sons subject to military service and prefer to see them go to the front with a company of home soldiers, who will very likely be.

together during the entire term of service, a company officered by home men, it’s up to them to see to it that the boys enldst in Company M and not wait to be conscripted. There are other companies in the same plight as the one from this city. Monticello is in danger of losing her company also, says the Journal, which has made an appeal to all to put* forth every effort to recruit the company of that place to the maximum war strength (before registration day. White county is getting more recruits than Jasper and Company C of Monticello has 108 men, many more than Captain Tuteur has at his command. 150 is war strength and a sweep through White county is being made for new recruits, with quite satisfactory results. The Journal is superintending the movement for new men. An' excellent appeal has been made through the columns of that paper anditisexpected that the other fbrty-tiwo men will be secured. It would be a- calamity if Rensselaer was to lose her company after it has been in the guard for so long. While on the border it was recognized as one of the most efficient organizations there, the only drawback being that it did not have as many men m some. If the local company is disbanded the men will be sent to fill out other units and would be itt the service among strangers, which would not be nearly so-satisfactory as serving with one’s own friends. If the people of this city and couiity are proud or the company which represented them on the border last year they should make every effort to see to it that the standard it has attained should not be allowed to fall. The fact is, it is up to all of us to save Cd. M for the heads of the guard organization of the state have left no doubt as to their ultimate intentions and the course of procedure that will be taken with companies who are riot recruited to full strength. New companies are waiting to take the places of companies lost through failure to secure enough men. There is no use to mince words. - • Unless Co. M gets her required number of men before June 5, there will be no Co. M in the war from this county. The following letter ha* been sent out iby the adjutant general, a copy of which is in the possession of Captain Tuteur: “■Captain H. B. Tuteur, Rensselaer,lnd.: Your attention is directed to the importance of recruiting your organization to the maximum strength with the least possible delav. This office has authority to organize new organizations, but new units will not be recognized by the federal government until the old . units are at war strength. "Numerous companies are being organized throughout the state and some of these are now practically at full strength. If old units cannot be recruited to the desired strength in their respective communities, it is

not fair to the state or to the organizations clamoring for admission to continue the weak companies ’a* unit* of the I. N. G. “You are therefore directed to inaugurate at oboe an active reeruiting campaign, preferably in conjunction with your Chamber of ■ Coinmerce and local newspapers. The matter should be put up to the people of your town a, being a civic duty on their part, and it should be emphasized that the company will be very likely lost io your city if it is not atxmce given the whole-hearted iMpport in the way of assistance in recruiting.

“It is desired tint you report by letter to thia office at the end of eacn week, beginning May 26, just what your recruiting efforta have been for the preceding week and the result of same m tnrrnbr of recruit*’gained. "It is believed that the proper effort by company officers and noncommissioned officers, assisted by influential person* in the community, the I. N. G. can be recruited to war (strength in a comparatively short Vine. You am very earnestly urged to do all in your power to bring about this desired result.”