New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-04-27
BAN FAILS TO HALT
FATHER OF ARMY"
Herbert Vandyke Has Been
Guardian for Recruits
for IS Years.

The War Department has run up
against a snag in its efforts to regulate
here the enlistments OF patriots under
twenty-one years of age. Herbert Van
dyke, who for thirty-five years has been
the official guardian OF these minors, fell
under the ban and the order was Issued
that he should not be accepted again as
a guardian.
The fact that bond OF $50 Is required
in each case by the Surrogate threatened
TO end the enlistment of desirable recruits
under twenty-ono until officers here
found that the Surrogate was quite will
ing to overlook the War Department
order and assign Mr.. Nandyke, from
whom no bond has ever been required.
There are nineteen recruiting stations
here. and II Is estimated that about forty
Youngsters of bellicose tendencies have
been rushed through during the last week
with Mr.. Yandyke on the papers as
guardian He is interested In the News
boys Lodging House and similar insti-
tutions and his activity In the matter OF
enlistment Is prompted entirely by pa
triotsm.
The performance % this service IN many
cases has caused Mr.. Vandyke 10 incur
expenses, which he always paid out of
his own pocket, while his appointment as
guardian has never brought him any
monetary return, nor would he accept any
if there had been fee associated with
the appointment OF guardian OF pros
pective soldier for the United States.
When changes were made In the War
Department some discerning official or
clerk noticed evidently with some sus-
nicion. that there was one father for a
large army OF recruits in New York. for
in the thirty-fve years that Mr.. Vandyke
has accepted the responsibility he has
been appointed probably thousands OF
times.
The War Department Informed all re-
cruiting officers in this department that
no more minor recruits were to be sent
TO Mr.. Vandyke for guardianship pro-
ceedings At the same time the authori-
ties asked Richard Curd Daniels. law
Yer q. 10 Broadway, and who lives at the
Army and Navy Club. to take charge OF
the matter OF guardianship. Mr.. Daniel
consulted with Surrogate Cohalan. lie
learned that only MT. NdnuSh COuiu oO'
tain tho letters OF guardianship for the
embryo soldiers without tho necessity Of
filing q. bond OF $3.50 in each case.
This rule OF granting the letters 70 Mr.
Vandyke without bond was the result OF
a precedent established In the Surrogatc's
Court thirty-five years ago. and no bond
was REQUIRED from the father of the
army because OF his well known In
tegrity. This made Il impossible for MI
Daniel 10 supplant Mr.. Vandyke, because
he was not prepared 10 file bond for
each guardianship granted TO him.
Then came the war and the rush OF
ablo bodied men under twenty-one. just
the kind wanted by the army. Tho re-
cruitjng officers could not overlook tho de-
durability of having the young blood In
the army at this time
Az result, for the time being any
NAV tho recruiting stations are again
sending young recruits without guardians
to Mr.. Vandyke-
About forty applications by Mr. Van-
dyke were approved by Surrogate Coha-
Ian in tho last week and letters issued
70 that recruits could get into the sor-
vice OF the country.