Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-04-27
EVENING CHAT

EvENlN0 VnAL
Although it is a dozen years since
the National Guard of Pennsylvania
has been called for anything more eN-
citing than joint maneuvers with reg
ulars. annual encampments or IN
augural parades, we may well beneNe
that the statement of its commanding
officers that everything is in readiness
to mobilize is we'll founded. Upon
various occasions the organized militia
of Pennsylvania has proved that II Is
capable of entraining and forming
camp in a state of preparedness that
ranks well with the discipline OF many
of the regiments of the regualr army,
for it must be understood that all OF
the troops of the United States army
are not all in the trained-to-the-
minute condition of those splendid
battalions that have been strung along
the international border for months,
being drilled and marched and in
structed in the midst of conditions
closely approximating those they Will
meet in Mexico. Some of the army
regiments have been doing barrack
duty and their recruitment has been
under way for some time. The ma
terial from which they draw their meh
is the best in the world and it takes
but a short time to get commands
whipped into shape and the in
spiration from serving with men of
long experience and the traditions OF
! the American army speedily make
soldiers. The national guardsmen.
! whose status has been undergoing a
change in the last few years. Is now
practically a portion of the first line
of defense. Half a dozen years ago
the militiaman was the second, and, in
, the opinion of many officers of the
10 r. h tcl, trln af
| that. But recently in equipment, in
struction and discipline the guards
| men have been getting the same as
the regulars, and as they are men of
high type of intelligence it is small
wonder that the Pennsylvania division
| is considered by critics to be proper
material for the first line of defense
and to be so rated.
In the event of summons to the
national guardsmen to enter upon
active service there are several steps.
The first would be the call to arms,
which would designate the mobil-
| ization point, Mount Gretna, and give
| the time necessary to assemble. Men
would then meet at their armories
! and go to the point, which, by the way,
was designated years ago. AS soon as
the call goes out from the office of
Adjutant General Thomas j. Stewart
with the signature of Governor Tener
the shipment of tents will be started
from the State arsenal by Colonel
l.. V. Rausch and Colonel Harry c.
TreNler, the quartermaster general,
VIII start the rest of the material
Colonel II. c. Haldeman, in charge of
commlssary affairs, and Colonel j. Il.
Weaver, the chief surgeon, would like
wise have things moving, so that by
the time the guardsmen arrived at
Mount Gretna things would be on
hand. For months things have, been
worked out. The railroads will get
word where to have cars and how to
move men and the chances are that
the wise railroad men have already
designated the cars. The activities of
the inspectors sent to Mount Gretna
by State Commissioner of Health Sam
uel q. DIXON Will have full information
regarding the sanitary conditions
ready and the Water Supply Commits
sion can have its engineers ready to
cooperate with the men who will
nave charge of the water system. \
week ago the camp site at Mount
Gretna was all plotted out. just as it is
before an annual encampment, and
the tents can be delivered and go up
according to blue print. General
stewart, Notwithstanding his insist
ence that nothing has been done,
iAiSo4S thdN HotuluS mas Deen done IN
regard to call for men and considers
all of the multitudinous preparations
OF years as simply in the days work.
Th details of entry into the United
states service will be made public be-
lore many hours, in all probability,
and just how many infantrymen, ar.
tlllerymen, cavalrymen and others will
De taken Will be vouchsafed to us in
due course. And it will also be known
how the organizations will go into the
army. One thing that is certain is
lhat there Will have to be some strenu-
Gus recruiting. Company commanders
| nave been taking time by the forelock
all over the State and enlisting men
on their own initiative, but there will
| be many men who by reason of phys
ical condition and for other reasons
will not enter the federal service. lust
| as in the Spanish War. The places of
these men and the forty or so places
| required to make war strength will
speedily be filled up by the youth of
| PENNSYLVANIA. People who recall the
| recruiting activities of 1898 will re-
/ member how the PENNSYLVANIA regi-
ments went from Mount Gretna with
| superb material and how excellently
| those commands fortunate enough to
see active service acquitted themselves.
once the call goes out there will be a
| rush to enlist.
| People here are inclined to doubt
whether there will be second guard
organized. In 1898 General Stewart
I, duplicated the cavalry and artillery
commands and organized the Seventh.
Eleventh. Seventeenth and Nineteenth
Regiments, it being understood that
in the event of second call for men
they would be taken into the federal
service. This guard was needed as a
precaution. Now we have the State
police. ample in number to handle any
disturbance which might arise under
ordinary circumstances. Just whether
| there will be a second guard remains
to be worked out. If It is needed,
| it can be secured
! WELL KNOWN PEOPlF