Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-03-13
RECT. OFF
MONDAY, NOT
To RETURN

Preparations for the departure Of
the Seventeenth Infantry for Laredo
Texas, where it viii patrol the McNi-
can border, arc going forward al Fort
Mcpherson. following the receipt Of
the official marching orders from the
War Department Thursday afternoon.
The 925 men Of the regiment Will 90
from Atlanta to Savannah over ;Ge
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 ior 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 Atlsntans will have o.
seeing the Seventeenth. The general
impre ssion among the officers OF the
regiment Is that the troops will not he
returned to Fort Mcpherson, but viii
he transferred to foreign service IS
soon as their work on the border is
done II : the intention OF the War
Department to send two regiments to
Panama and two to Hawaii. Officers
OF the Seventeenth think they viii be
sent to Hawaii after six or eight
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-
longinss and the regimental equip
ment is being hurried that the troops
10 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 Dor
der Enlisted men were given orders
Friday to pack and take 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 inn
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
rs officers. and will total in the neigh
borhood of $50 men, in twelve COM
panes.
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 il 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.
Most OF the men who are now with
the Seventeenth saw service on the
border three years ago when the Ma
dero revolution tOppled Diaz from the
presidency of Mexico, and are familiar
With the country to which they are
going Hope is high among the en-
listed men that they will be sent into
Mexico and get a chance to see actual
service, but among the officers the
general belief is that there is little
likelihood of an invasion of the
Southern republic
we expect to have to stay on the
border for six or eight months said
one OF the officers Friday, "and then
we probably will go to Hawaii. There
is little likelihood Of an invasion OF
the country, although a lot Of us out
here would like to see the army go
in"