The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1916-04-21
BRIDGES GETS
ORDER TO FORM
GUARD COMP ANY
Gen. Clark, Nevada, Mo-.
Wires He Wants Experien-
ced Men and Officers.
MAY BE FIRST TO GO
TO MEXICAN BORDER
Angelo Dempsey, DR.. Vorbeck
and Maj. HOuck Present
Arms for ROll-Call.

Captain Harry w. Bridges, formerly
a staff officer Of the National Guard of
Missouri, yesterday afternoon received
q telegram from General H. c. Clark,
Of Nevada, Mo-, commanding officer of
the National Guard organization in
this State, asking him to organize a
company at once in this city and i'm
mediate vicinity.
Captain Bridges replied to General
Clark by wire as soon as he had re-
ceived the telegram, saying that he
would begin q canvass for guard men,
bers Immediately.
Last night, six hours after he had
received the communication from Cen
eral Clark, dozen men had signed a
list or indicated their willingness to
Join the Guard company, and Captain
Bridges is optimistic over chances to
recruit a full company of 153 men
within a couple Of weeks.
The message that Captain Bridges
received was as follows:
"Can you organize and maintain
National Guard company quick. hav-
ing majority experienced men and all
experienced officers. Vacancy. An
swer. H. c. Clark"
The demand for a company in the
Cape means the rejuvenatiOn of the
Sixth Missouri Regiment, Bridges said
last night, and it will mean that the
| men who join Will have the first oppor-
! tunity of going to the Mexican border
in the event of mere serious war COM
plicatiOns and a demand for more
troops there, he declared.
"Tha War Department viii fall back
upon the National Guard of the coun-
try for men to send to the Mexican
border when the regulars have been
called in," Bridges declared, "and it is
nv opinion that the men who now join
the National Guard will have the first
| opportunity to go to Mexico, if trouble
begins in earnest.
"As soon as | can obtain the names
of 100 men who are ready to form a
company with me, shall communicate
with General Clark, who will, / antici-
pate, authorize me to organize the
company.
1--WE shall select officers in the regu-
lar way, according TO their merit, and
three officers will be commissioned.
There will be six sergeants and cor
porals for each squad of eight men.
"Under the new army bill, the Ma
tional Guard men serve in times of
peace and are paid from 81 to SIG a
month in accordance with the rank of
the member.
"The members of the guard" Cap
tain Bridges said may be called into
actual service only by volunteering for
United States service. A membership
in the National Guard does not neces-
sarily mean war service, but it is prep
aration for war"
The age limits for the Guard COM
pany are IS to 45 years and those who
wish to enlist in the company are re-
quested by Captain Bridges to commu-
nicate with him.
Captain Bridges two years ago was
iassigned to take charge of the former
National Guard company in the Cape
which subsequently was disbanded in
a general reorganization of the State
National Guards.
Those who have signed or indicated
their desire to join a company are:
Major Giboney Houck, Captain H. w
Bridges, Angelo Dempsey, DR.. J. C.
Vorbeck, Carl A. Powers, Louis Ische
Jr., L. G. Stovall, H. F. Allen, James
Davis, Carl Simpson, Thomas Sterling
Bernie Sterling, Harry Hamilton and
Truman, student in the Cape high
school.