The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-03-30
Will Gladly Answer a
Call for Troops.
THE QUOTA WILL BE SMALL
THIS STATES SHARE MAY BE
LESS THAN ONE REGIMENT.
Reports From All Over the Country
Show That More Men Will Ans
wer Than the President
Will Call For.

The runors that the President is about
to call for IS, 900 volunteers have caused a
great deal of speculation in army circles,
the ranks of the National Guard, in the
office the workshop and the home.
California has freely given four volun-
teer regiments to the service OF the coun-
try. Her thousands of young men have
stepped from the ranks OF civil NE 10
don the blue and follow the flag. They
have marched away to foreign shore
many of them never to return. Now comes
another call, and with it the question:
"Will our young men respond freely 10
the call as before?"
This question was put to General DICK
inson yesterday afternoon. He smiled a
moment and replied; THAT was an I'M
necessary question. The true question Will
be not Will our men go| but How many
will the Government accept When the
first call came for volunteers, about one
year ago, the boys of the National Guard
rushed into the army. Three regiments OF
them met with disappointment. Ihey
were disbanded without having had
chance to show the stun everybody Knows
they are made of. The bill reorganlzlnS
the National Guard has recently been
passed, and they are now going back into
we'll enough, however, to state positively
that should the Government ask Tor
thousand men from California three thou-
sand will offer their services. Why, those
boys who did not get an opportunity 10
go out to the fields Of battle will never
get over their disappointment. Uncle sam
has but to hint that he wants men, and
you will see our boys leaving the farm
and workshop to pick UP the rifle. Cali
fornia can easily furnish more men than
she did before, and the National Guards
men are ready, as they have ever BEEN
At the headquarters of the adJutant gen
eral of the Department of California the
matter was also informally discussed, al
though no definite information can come
from this source until adVices are re-
ceved from Washington. 1t was the gen.
eral impression there that in case the call
is made it will be made on the same basis
as former ones, and CALIFORNIA; pro rata
will be less than d thousand men. 1t is
not expected that the National Guard or
the Naval Reserves will be called upon
as a body. In fact. the Naval Reserves
will in all probability be out of the ques-
ton altogether. AS for raising the requ-
site number of men in the country, no diff
ticulty whatever is anticipated. If any
State IS unable to furnish its pro rata
from other States. Private and official
correspondence from all parts Of the
country shows that there is a decided sur
plus of material from which soldiers may
be made. The disappointment of CaIifor-
MAS Sixth, Seventh and Eighth regf-
mentS is still fresh in the minds of army
people. and 1t is also known that in New
York City 1900 men who wished to enlist
have been turned away. Taking it altos
gether it is plain that the Government
can get all the men it needs without re.
sorting to the draft system or Offering
bounties.