The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-08-10
COL. duMONT MAI RESIGN A Sens zion in Military Circles. H<sLE SOLDIERS lNcENsED Gov. Comer's Action May Cause
 Serious Embarrassment. The News From Birmlnsham states That Retired Army officer wnl Be Placed In Charge of Na- tionaI Guard.
 

Mobile. August s-(Speciai) --Local military men who have served out a number of enlistments as soldiers of the state, men who have a record for responding quickly to the call of the nation when soldiers were wanted to l fight Spain, are much incensed over the news that comes from Birmingham. and from the headquarters of Cover nor Conner.
 A brief telegraphic dispatch in 8 local paper this morning stating that Col. Robert B. du Mont will return to this city because he Is sick. Is the reason for all this excitement. When the list Regiment band returned late last night, there were immediately started. rumors that 1t was Col. du Monts purpose to resign and that he might be expected back in Mobile at any minute. This statement had been made long before the news came from Birmingham that the Colonel intended to come back home because of his health.
 There are few military men here who are ready to believe that the fight ing colonel of the State of Alabama will leave his regiment just because
 
 the men that are under him are called for active duty for the state. Instead they base the report that the colonel will return here on the recent actions of Governor Conner, in his announced intention of placing Major Thurs ton of the United. States Army. retired. in charge of the soldiers in the field at Birmingham.
 One of the old time military men of Mnh4lAs 5talfFfna hA .fo of The Montgomery Advertiser thls morning. sized up the situation in this way:
 "Col du Mont Is not a man to dis obey orders, neither is he the kind of officer that will allow come slight sickness to interfere with his duty. He has been with his regiment in all kinds Of trouble in this state. and those who vtwtdiy remember the trouble in Birmingham in 1894 win know that col du Mont proved himself to be a most efficient officer at that time
 The old men of the National Guard of the State remember the time when the man that the Governor has now placed in charge at Birmingham was at Miami during the Spanish American War, and they also know what their own officers did to save them from dire mistakes that might have been otherwise made,
 "Aside from all this. however, is the principle on which the National Guard of this, or any other state is built up. It Is always with the men a question of promotion and a man who succeeded in gaining for himself the rank of colonel or higher still, brigadier general, has earned his spurs
 ''You can rest assured that the Governors action in selecting some one, not himself an officer of the National Guard of Alabma. and placing him in commanded the troops at Birmingham will be considered by every staff and line officer as an insult. and a reflec- tion on their ability to command their own men"
 There are other matters that are serious when taken into consideration with the impression that has gained ground here that Col. du Mont's return home on sick leave is due entirely to the action of the Governor. There are many men in this city who have sons in the 1st Regiment who are hardly more than boys. They appear to be content that they shall stay there as long as Col. du Mont is in command, or, if they are under orders of Lieu tenant Colonel Hubbard. Some of these men have served under the Governors appointee. and 1t is freely stated on the streets of Mobile today that they do not care to have their sons doing strike duty in Birmingham, if they are subject to the orders of Major Thurs ton.