The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1898-05-05
A CALL TO ARMS
The President Asks the
Country to Furnish
Volunteers.
FIRST TIME In THIRTY YEARS
The Call Is for 10000 Men to Fight
the acknowledgements of the
Volunteers by States-National Guard
Will Havc Preference.

the spaniards-Apportionm Of the
Volunteers by States-National Guard
will Havc Preference.
Washington, April 26.-The presi-
dent today called upon the people of
the United States, for the first time in
80 years, to manifest their martial
strength, the call this time being to a
united people to go forth to battle
with foreign country. The call is for
1875, 200 volunteers. The secretary of
war created new army corps. The
two, taken together. with regular army
soon will move on Cuba, and that
meanhile the volunteers will be equip
ped and drilled.
The presidents proclamation, while
actually issued, was not certified to the
governors of the states and territories,
and will not be until Wednesday. The
reason is twofold. In the first place,
the war department wishes to avoid
destroying the present organization Of
the National Guard, which is to be
called into service first. The Guard
regiments are composed of IL COM
panies, and being differed more nu-
merously that the regular army. would
have to be changed to correspond to
the army organization in order to COM
ply with the order as it exists. The
pending Gull bill, however, provides
for meeting just such an emergency,
and permits the use of the National
Guard, as organized. This is more
important than would appear at first,
inasmuch as many of the National
Guard have volunteered only on condi-
ton that they may serve as now organ
lied.
The second consideration which in.
fluenced the department in postponing
the certification of the call until
Wednesday is desire to make sure
that adequate arrangements can be
completed by quartermasters and the
commissary departments for feeding
and transporting the number of men
called for. This is no light task, as
the volunteers must be taken by the
government at a certain point in
each state where they are to be COL
lected by the governors.
The Proclamation.
The presidents proclamation fol.
lows:
'By the President of the United
States-A Proclamation:
Whereas, BY act of congress, en-
titled an act to provide for the increas-
ing of the military establishment OF
the United States in time of war, and
for other purposes, approved April %,
1898, the president was authorized, in
order to raise volunteer army, to is
sue his proclamation calling for velun-
teers to serve in the army of the
United States.
"Now, therefore, I, William Nc
Kinley, president of the United States,
by virtue of the power vested in me by
the constitution and bylaws, and
deeming sufficient occasion to exist,
have thought fit to call, and hereby do
call, for volunteers to the aggregate
number of 125, 900 to carry into effect
the purpose Of said resolution, the
same to be apportioned as far as prac-
ticable among the several states and
territories and the District of Column
bia, according to population, and to
serve for two years. unless sooner dis
charged. The details Of this order will
be Immediately communicated to the
proper authorities through the war de-
partment.
SIN witness whereof, I have here
unto set my hand and caused the seal
of the United States to be affixed.
Done at Washington, this 23d day
of April, 1898, and of the independence
uf the United States the 122d.
WILLIAM, M'KINLEY.
"By the President,
JOHN SHERMAN,
Secretary of State"