The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-07-21
STATE MILITIA
IS EFFICIENT
Equipped for Campaign II Ever
Needed In Mexico

Michigan is ready Ia send her quota
OF men 10 Mexico Immediately upon
the command of the war department.
II Intervention comes, says the Grand
Rapids Herald Probably no state in
the union can more quickly mobilize
body Of $500 men of all branches
of The service perfectly equipped and
ready for business than Michigan
The fact - Michigan has been for
months awaiting the command II may
not come. Some of the officers of the
! national guard do not expect it will.
But If il comes Michigan has been
preparing, and is prepared, To send
an efficient body of lighting men To
| the Mexican border, or anywhere else
| the order may read, and in less than
one weeks time.
Had Tip to Be Ready.
Ever since the mobilization Of the
regular army on the Mexican border
| two years ago, militia men all over
the nation, and especially here in
Michigan, have been expecting sooner
or later to bc ordered into camp.
While during all this time no direct
order 10 be prepared has come from
Washington, yet quiet tip has been
handed down the line To keep the or
gani2ations up To the fun peace foot
ing and To have all equipped and
ready for immediate mobilization.
should that become necessary. In
connection with this tip, which so far
as anybody Will say, is given from
nobody in particular, and is given To
nobody in particular, certain action on
the part OF the war department mas
lent color To the suggestion.
For instance, little more than "a
year ago the tentage and some other
| equipment belonging 10 the Michigan
/ national guard and stored at Port
Huron was destroyed by fire. Hardly
had the news reached Washington
than more tentage and more equip
ment started for Michigan. This new
tenlage came direct from the quarter
masters department of the regular
army. and was not by any means odds
and ends or makeshft. Every bit of
the canvas was of the new pyramdal
type and of the best quality--the
Kind the regular army uses in the
field. That was taken as especially
significant action on the part of the
war department.
Latest Guns for Artillery.
But this was not all About the
same time company of infantry was
converted into a battery of artillery.
IL was expected the second battery
would be forced 10 divide time with
Battery A In the use of four guns
then in the service of the state. To
the surprise ot everybody. four new
guns of the latest type. with all the
equipment, We're sent post haste to
the new battery IN Michigan, and IL
went into camp last summer az fully
equipped as Battery A.
Field artillery is the weakest branch
Of the United States army. That liz
recognized by all military authorities. |
And artillery cannot be- thrown to-
gether in a minute. Every man con-
nected with battery must have IA
technical training, which requires
mathematical problem which must |
he carefully worked out il the firing |
is To be at all effective.
May Mcboizs at Ludinston.
Just how closely in touch with the |
situation has been the military de-
partment of Michigan was shown at
Lansing last winter when the bill To
provide permanent camp site for the
national guard was under considera-
ton. Crawling was selected as the
site, but the military board informed |
the i.udngton boosters that the
guard would camp at Ludington this
year. Peeved because they had been
turned down on the permanent site,
some of the Ludington men declared
they didn't want the camp AT all if
they couldn't have it all the time.
You don't know what YOU are
turning down." said Major Wander
cook. sdiutant general. Unless the
Mexican situation clears up the Mich
igan national guard. with perhaps the
organizations of other states is likely
to be under canvas some months
wouldn't be surprised any day If We
were ordered To mobilize the troops
and keep them under arms for further
orders"
Michisan's Efficient Troops.
Major Earl II. Stewart, command
ing the Grand Rapids battalion. Nj. \.
u, in discussing the matter yester-
day, said:
ON war footing our state forces
would number some 5000 men of all
branches of the service as follows:
Three regiments infantry $500
Two batteries artillery .......... 800
Two troops cavalry ............. 225
signal corps Observation-Disclosures lOS
Engineers .'.ss..... ..s..'.''''' iEo
Field hospital observation-disclosures. 10
Two ambulance companies ...... $50
Ibtai s.'s....... 5000 |
"Of course we are not on a war