The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-13

u,,ae talk has been made through
ous rhs state by the recent complaint sha'
xx,.srsn~tan was sow IN coming TO the
frc,, sn answer 10 the presidents call for
volunteers. Adjt- Gen. Baiiaine came 70
he city yesterday and in an insers.e"
with a Poss-Inteingencer reporter iAss
night said:
as a matter OF fact. the states troops
wsre On the ground at Camp Rogers moo
.,xss and turned over TO the government
,~o weeks after the call was issued no
state was more prompt in responding 10
the couu.r,ss call than Washington No'h-
ING could be done until the fun details OF
,he presidents cal were received anu
x,nsn they were received the work OF gain
ar,rv the troops together and massins
them in readiness for action was pasaea
through without delay
ION Friday night, May s. the aenhite
sall was received At O'Clock the heA'
aay the troops had started BY SUNDAY
,nsx were IN camp In addition to fneil
au., nersonal equipment they were fur
n;shed with tents and paraphernaiia from
the state depot. SO that they were pro-
viaed with every comfort the best supplied
troops have had.
I'm reference TO the matter OF the re-
,scsion of volunteers. II m4y surprise some
20 know tina, the percentage Of rejection
thus far has not been more than u per
cent. The city companies Jared the worst,
their average running from y TO 80 per
small towns not more than TO Il per
cent fell below the marx. This may De
accounted for by the fact that these men
came. many OF them, from the farms ana
country roundabout, and naturally were
physically In better shape than those VINO
were city bred. 1t is notable fact tnat
20 Der cent Of the cigarette smokers VINO
volunteered to fight for their country were
rejected because they had tobacco heart.
4 man. TO be received into the rank and
file of the army, must be absolutely sound
i'm body and mind. Any sight blemisi
that. sn the opinion OF the examining sur
geon land he is always man We'll ana
fully able to judge may serve to weaken
a man under strain. incapacitates him.
and he Is thrown out.
I'VE have now another battalion ready
to be turned over to the government at
any time the call may come. This is the
Third battalion. the last of whose COM
panies will be mustered in by tonight. The
Second battalion Is already mustered In
and ready for service,
.As to the reorganization OF the guard.
It is the governors policy TO proceed care
fully and se.ect only the best companies
offered. There are now within the state
fifty provisional companies that have been
actively drilling for the past four weeks
and are already In pretty good shape for
war All these will offer their services in
the event OF second call for volunteers.
II this second call comes. those parts OF
the state which did not get an opportunity
to supply troops in the first cat viii be
given a chan6s to send out their men.
They will be given the preference. For In
stance, there Is Whitman county. with
population of about $1,000. and Whatcom
county with as many. neither of which bad
a show In the furnishing OF troops in the
first CALL for the reason that there were no
National Guard companies within their
lines. IN the event of second call, all
those sections of the state of which / have
spoken will be allowed to furnish some part
Of the new recruits If the number OF
troops called for is large enough TO go
round"
Gen. Ballaine says that he has as yet
given no definite promise 10 any company.
and will not do so until the distribution
of the First regiment is completed. Then
he will do what he considers TO be for the
best interests of all concerned. The raw
limits the size OF the National Guard OF
any state to fourteen companies of infan-
try, two of cavalry and one battery OF
light infantry. Internationally. this will
not go round inasmuch as the state has
already either IN the field or ready for
the field twelve companies. 1t has been
suggested that in case second call IS
made, those who are deharred from en-
tering the service as National Guard VOL
unteers by the limited number prescribed
may get over the difficulty by organizing
independent companies IL there were ur-
gent need for troops they undoubtedly
would stand an excellent chance of being
accepted and OF seeing the active service
they desire.