Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-03-13
17THGET TING
READY FOR
MEXICO
Troops at Fort Mcpherson Busy
Packing Up-Expect Foreign
Service Later.

Preparations for the departure of
the Seventeenth Infantry for Laredo,
Texas, where it will patrol the Mexi-
can border, are going forward at Fort
Mcpherson, following the receipt Of
the official marching orders from the
War Department Thursday afternoon.
The 925 men of the regiment will go
from Atlanta to Savannah over he
Seaboard. There was a report that
they would leave Sunday. but the
general impression is that Monday
will see the departure. At Savannah
the regiment will embark in any army
transport for Galveston, where it will
entrain Tor Laredo, on the border.
Major Martin will command the
troops, Colonel NanOrsdale, hereto
fore in command of the post, having
retired from active service.
Monday probably will be the last
opportunity Atlantans will have Of
seeing the Seventeenth. The general
impression among the officers of the
regiment is that the troops will not be
returned TO Fort Mcpherson, but Will
be transferred 10 foreign service as
soon as their work on the border is
done. II is the intention of the War
Department to send two regiments TO
Panama and two to Hawaii. Officers
of the Seventeenth. think they will be
sent to Hawaii after six or eiga;
months service on the border, unless,
of course, Intervention in the turbu-
lent southern republic should become
necessary.
Taking Families Along.
The work of packing personal be-
longings and the regimental equip
ment is being hurried that the troops
may be ready to leave Monday. The
officers of the regiment are packing
their household goods, in anticipation
of an extended stay on the border
and in foreign service, and most Of
them probably will take their wives
and families with them TO the bor-
Friday to pack an dtake with them
to Laredo all their personal belong
ings, as it is likely that none of them
will ever return to Fort Mcpherson.
No indication of foreign service is
contained in the official orders re-
ceived from the War Department by
Major Martin Thursday. The officers
of the post were called together i'm
mediately after the orders were re-
ceived, and informed Of their con-
tents. The information that the
regiment probably would not return
to Atlanta. but would go from the
border to foreign service was given
to the officers by Major Martin, who
had been so advised by the War De
partment. The regiment has about
25 officers, and will total in the neigh
borhood of $50 men, in twelve COM
panies.
Transfer Welcomed by Men.
Although it was generally known
about the post that the regiment
would leave shortly for the border,
there was an air of uncertainty about
the rumors that was dissipated with
the receipt of the official orders, En-
listed men have been packing their
kits and overhauling their equipment
since it was announced in the news
papers that the War Department con-
templated the transfer of the regi-
ment. The dispatching Of the troops
TO the border is welcomed by officers
and men alike as a break in the mo-
notony Of army life, and every man at
the post heard OF the receipt of the
marching orders with pleasure,