Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 133, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 June 1917 — GUARD JOINS ARMY JULY 15 [ARTICLE]

GUARD JOINS ARMY JULY 15

U. S. MOVES TO SEND GUARD TO WAR FRONT—EARLY SHIPMENT IN MONTH. Washington, June 20.—Plans of the administration to make immediately available a great army, which will be thrown into the balance against Germany as rapidly as it can be transported to Europe, were revealed today. The entire national guard of the country will have become a constituent part of the regular army within the next forty-five days. Drafting of the guardsmen will be accomplished by three executive orders. The first draft order will be issued July 15, the second July 25, and the third August 5.

President Wilson also issued a proclamation calling for 70,000 recruits to bring the units of the existing regular army to war strength during the next ten days. June 23 to 30 was designated as “recruiting week” for the regular army. The announcement concerning the national guard is an official answer to the question of whether the troops of this class could legally be sent to the battlefields of Europe. The power to draft the guardsmen into the regular army for foreign service was granted by congress last year, when an army was sent to the Mexican border. —.:

The regular army is to be sent to Europe first. The last of the units of this class which can be utilized will bid farewell to American shores at a date near at hand. The federalized national guard will follow. The most definite statement obtainable at the war department is that “none of the national guard will start for a month yet.” President Wilson’s action was taken at the request of army officials, who have been seriously concerned over the slow rate of recruiting for the regular army, despite the fact that the war department’s recruiting agencies over every section of the country and that the men are asked to serve only for the period of the war. It had been hoped that the regular service could be brought to its whole war strength of approximately 300,000 men by June 30. Then the war department could carry out its plan for training all the forces to be raised and also for the dispatch of armies to France. For several days, however, the average daily enrollment has been little more than 1,000 men, instead of the 5,000 or more the department expected. The army is about 70,000 men short of war strength.