Albuquerque morning journal., 1916-12-29
Regulation Promulgated by
War Department Two
Months Ago and Just Made
Public Is Far-reaChing,
NATIONAL DEFENSE ACT
FOLLOWED IN CIRCULAR
In Time of War All AbIe-bOdied
Males Between 10 and As
May Be Called to COIorS to
Fight for County,
lay MOANING JOURNAL SPECIAL ls.sto ~,Hr,

tHN MORNING JOURNAL bFEt'NA AeNaHe W'F'tN
Washington Dec. 2S.-Every able
bodied male citizen of the United
states between the ages of is and As
years, is held liable for service in the
national guard in war time, without
further act of congress, by war de-
partment regulations for the govern
ment Of the guard, issued under the
national defense act. In circular
prepared nearly two months ago, but
made public only today the militia
bureau directs that where a national
guard regiment is called out for war
service. a reserve training battalion
TO fill vacancies at the front shall be
organized out of the national guard
reserve and by voluntary enlistment.
IF for any reason" the order con-
tinues. there shall not be enough re-
servists or enough voluntary enlist
ments to organize or to keep the re-
serve battalions at prescribed strength,
sufficient number of the unorganized
militia shall be drafted by the presi-
dent to maintain such battalion or
lesser unit, at the prescribed strength
DcltllSt -Atl I fblibNN''
The language follows closely that OF
the national defense act, in which the
morganized militia is defined as in
cluding every ahle-bodied male citizen
within the prescribed age limit or
those who have declared their inten-
tion of becoming citizens.
The national guard regulations
In YTlgf de-
tail later also strike at the problem OF
dependent families of soldiers when
has cost the government several mil
lions Of dollars already, through the
border mobilization. Recruiting Of
ficers for the national guard are dl-
rected to discourage the enlistment OF
married men or those with others de-
pendent upon them such persons are
TO be accepted only for reasons in the
public interest, men who wish to be-
come officers being the only class
specifically excepted.
1t is provided in the regulations that
no officer of the guard hereafter shaH
be recognized as such under the de-
fense act, unless he shall have SUB
scribed to an oath binding him to obey
the orders of the president and of the
governor OF his state. Appointments
will be made on recommendation 10
the secretary of war from governors
or the commanding officers of state OF
territorial units of the guard, and
after proper physical and mental e%-
animation by board of officers. Pro-
motions will be handled in the same
way and any officer who fails in the
examination as to his professional
ability cannot come up for re-eXaml-
nation within a year
Reserve Established.
After three years years active serV-
ice. or when the organizations are dis
banded, national guard Officers may
pass into the national guard reserve.
The reserve is to remain an unor-
ganized body in peace times, except
for temporary purposes. 1t VIII beI
composed of men who have served
three years in active ORGANIZATIONS and
whose enlistment contracts Will re-
uuirc them to serve three more in the
reserve unless they prefer active serV-
ice. They will hold the same rank in
the reserve that they held at the time
Of fuTlough from active service except
that when drafted into the federal
service they will report in the grade
of private.