The San Francisco call., 1906-07-15
CITIZEN SOLDIERS
ARE SURPRISED.
Lauck-K Incident Is
Subject of Discussion
Among Rank and File
OPINION IS VARIED

Members Of the National Guard out
side of a few in the First Infantry
were surprised on reading in The Call
that Colonel Kelly. commanding that
regiment, had been placed under mill
tary arrest and relieved OF his COM
mand The general comment was that
the colonel, who is one of the most
jealous guardsmen in this section Of
the Second Brigade, while endeavoring
to secure that which In his opinion is
necessary for the proper rehabilitation
of the First Regiment allowed his zeal
to swerve from his usual good judg-
rnent and caused him to express his
opinion in a manner that must have
been offensive to Adjutant General
Lauck
What the outcome Of this affair will
be is somewhat problematic. The mat
ter has been drawn to the attention
of Governor Pardee who is the COM
mander In chief of the National Guard.
and he, like the adjutant general and
the colonel, will not say anything at
this time concerning 1t. The usual
course In cases where an officer is
placed under arrest and deprived of
his command Is the preferring Of
charges based upon the particular In
cident that led TO his arrest. and then
a court martial, but at this time there
Is reason to believe that an effort will
be made by omcers high in the guard
to settle the matter 4out of court" and
see If there is not some way to bring
about a peace tha. will be satisfactory
to the two officers directly interested
and result in placattng wounded honor
and securing for the First Infantry
that which it claims 1t should have IN
order to make 1t a credit to the State
organization.
One of the company officers yester-
day, speaking of the regiment and Its
present condition, said: MY men did
good work during the TING they were
In service after the fire, although they
failed to receive the credit they were
entitled to for being on duty sixty
consecutive hours without sleep after
the 18th of April / am proud of my
command, and l know that every other
company commander is of his. Every
man in the regiment had a personal in
terest In the saving of the city, for
every one had a home and family To
show the fealty OF the men to their
duty 1T is only necessary to state that
while my company was protecting
property and fighting fire in the Mis-
sion one of It's members happened to
look in the direction OF his home,
which was in plain sight, and ex-
CldliueQ, us TEARS AlicQ Ills eyes
There goes my home; the roof Is
ablaze' He did not come to me and
ask to be excused to go to that burn
ing home to see If his family was safe,
but he remained at his post. feeling
that his place was where he had been
ordered.
Now the men OF the regiment have
been fairly we'll housed. at their own
expense, each of them having contribu-
ted to a fund that amounts TO more
than one thousand dollars. yet they are
not in a condition to appear on the
street. which now and for some time
to come will be the place for company,
battalion and regimental drills. They
have only what once were uniforms,
but are now unfit for soldiers. Until
such time as the men shall be provided
with uniforms, hats and leggings my
company will not be called out for
drill, as l do not wish to humiliate
them. l feel that they have earned
recognition beyond that which comes
to them in the nature of pay-when
they receive it-and that recognition
is to make them presentable as SOL
diers."
The non-coms and enlisted men of
the First Infantry have had a portion
of the temporary headquarters at Bu-
chanan and Waller streets put into
good shape for their use. under the
direction OF Regimental Quartermaster
E. H. Levy, and have organized them
selves into club with the following
named directors: E. II. Levy, regimen
tai ouartermaster; Sergeants w. Her