The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-04-21
COAST GUARDS MAY GET DUTY
 IN THE FORTS
Major Hermann Discusses Possibilities of Service
 for State Troops

That the Bridgeport organizations of the Connecticut National Guard will undoubtedly be called into the service in the event of hostilities in Mextco is the opinion of of1cers Of the compaAies here, although none of them desire to talk for publication.
 Major Louis J. Hermann, com manding the local battalion of the Coast Artillery corps was in confer ence with Iiei1t.-C Vincent c. King Of Danbury and several other officers from other cities at the state armory this morning. but Major Hermann | said the conference had no signid- lcance Lieut.. Col. King is on the way to Fortress Monroe where he will spend ten days at school for Coast Artillery officers
 Major Hermann said today: I've have received no new orders land as yet there is no intimation that
 I've may be called into the United
 States service but of course 1t is pos- lsfble that orders may come later. If the regular army companies of the l Coast Artillery corps should be sent to Mexico or to the border we might l be called into the service to take their places in the forts
 A few months service in that way 1 would develop the Connecticut conn panies into splendid Coast Artillery I reserve Of course the news that we
 
 I less increase enIistments greatly but as yet this has not happened The tnailitia Of the state Is much better fequipped than zt was at the time Of 1fhe Spanish American war. The IBridgeport connpanies could take the field all equipped for service at a few hours notice. They would be all jequipped for service and officers and
 men would understand what was re-
 quired of them much better than did I4l,. fv.z
 Members of the militia companies o4 Bridgeport are pleased over what they
 presume to be the prospectf of active i Service It is believed that if any
 call is made for connecticut troops the Third Division Naval Militia which lis station here will be one of the I organizations called f1rst.
 I The militia organizations at present T In Bridgeport are the Fourth, Eleventh 2 and Fourteenth companies Of the Coast
 Artillery corps, the Coast Artillery lCorps band and the Third Division o1 the Naval Militia
 If, as has been reported, that 1t is ; the intention of the government to call for a volunteer army of 25O. COG linen. it is believed that Connecticut s 900 more than are now in the or ganized militia.
 Connecticut has one of the most eff1-
 cient Coast Artillery corps in the or Ran1Zed militia. IhGS6 troops are 111-
 c1uded in the Fifth Militia division
 which comprises the troops of the New England states. Some time ago the inspectors of the United States Army pronounced the Coast Artillery com panies and the other land forces fl flor service with the army in case !, Of war, although troops of many Othel militia. divisions in other parts of ths country were pronounced unfit All through the winter the Connec' lticut troops have been quietly pre-
 pairing for trouble in Mexico, and tht arms and equipments of the men re lceived an extra careful inspection b.
 the regular army officers at the annua Inspection last month. Some time ags each company was supplied with blanI
 forms for acquisitions, reports and tn, lnunberless official documents whhcl , are used by the departments of tn regular army, and which differ some : what from those used by the militis
 lin time Of peace Oh1fHcers and com pany clerks were instructed to ia : rniIiarize themselves wiz these pa
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