The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1916-06-28
MINNESOTA GUARD
MUSTERED INTO
FEDERAL SERVICE
Expected That All Men Will Be
Signed Up Inside Of Two Days;
Few Complain.
RECRUITING STATIONS
IN ST. PAUL CLOSED
St. Paul Civil War Veteran Says it
Will Take Army of 100000
Five Years.
RECRUITING STATIONS
IN ST. PAUL CLOSED
(By United Press)

st. Paul, Minn., June 28.-Three
thousand one hundred fifty-eight
members of the Minnesota national
guard encamped at Fort Smelling to-
day, are being mustered into Federal
service. The work of putting the
men under Federal enrolment SER
vice started with the Third regiment
late today. 1t may take two days
before the men are signed. The mus
ter is being made with the men in
regimental formation. -
81. = Men Take Oath. .~
The khaki clad state troops were
lined up in regimental streets and
mastering officers were assigned each
section. Each man took the oath and
signed the Federal papers separately.
That there might be some muir
muring against taking the federal
cath was admitted. But officials in
sisted that very few of these would
show themselves. One officer char
acterized these men who didn't
want to go'' as the 'rats" of the
guard, and these, he said, would be
quietly eliminated. Officers, he
said, don't want them. When re-
port that a man has murmured
against taking the federal oath seems
founded, that man is simply and
quietly eliminated in the federal ex-
animation, it is said. This elimina-
ton, he said, would be "inspired"
and a "rat,' he said, couldn't get in
to the service no matter how physic-
ally fit he might be.
z. Stations Clesed.
Recruiting stations in St. Paul
were closed today and the men COM
manding them moved to the state
concentration camp. The Joining OF
Battery A and Battery B Of the ar
tillery brought this one amalgamated
battery to full strength and pre-
vented necessity of further attempt
ing to get recruits. '~'
That the United States needs 50O;-
900 men to lick Mexico If she starts
such a stunt, was the statement of
Col. ]. H. Davidson of St. Paul, Civil
war veteran, who has had military
experience in Mexico. He visited the
state camp today, reviewing the boys
| in camp and recalling his own blood
stained blue uniform of 81. He
says it will take five years to finish
the job. He described the border as
an actual line made of iron stakes.
Hour. to Entrain. 49,. 4.
It would take just about one hour
to get some of Minnesota's forces
| started for the border if they were
ordered at once, army officers said
There are lot of things to be done
but Just one thing would be done
(if the order came and that would be
-entrain. -.",.%
Extended order drill, bayonet prac
tice and the manual of arms occu
pied the attention of the boys today
Major Cook says there will be NJ
ceremonies: no dress parades; M
guard mounts and nothing but goot
hard work for the boys until the!
entrain. Boiled shirt procedure j
barred. A special consignment o
i government supplies to uniform SOM
recruits and furnish all the boy
with mess kitchens were enrout'
here today. -
| It's going to be hot in Mexico TO
all the state guard. So Uncle Sal
is arranging for that. The Seege
Refrigerator Co., st. Paul, toda
shipped four carloads of refrigera
tors to the army on the border Wher
lrefrigerators are most needed.
Crookston's Co. I, Third infantry