Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-07-13
EXACT STATUS OF
GUARD GIVEN OUT.
ADJUTANT GENERAL LOGAN
TELLS OF TROOPS NEW
RELATIONS.

Des Moines, July 12.-Adjt. Gen.
Guy e. Logan has given out state
ment relative to the status of the
men in the national guard service IN
their relation to state duty. He
says there seems to be misunder-
standing that the men are to be taken
into the regular army. This Is not
true, he declares, but they will remain
as members Of the national guard Of
this state until they are returned
to their home stations and they will
then take up their status in the. guard
just as it was before being ordered
on duty by the president. His state.
ment follows:
Under the national defense act,
known as the Hay-Chamberlain bill,
the national guard Of the various
states become in fact not only the ma
tional guard of the state in which they
are organized but the national guard
of the United States. They are there
by subject to the orders Of the presi-
dent of the United States, who, under
the constitution and the law has full
power to order the troops on duty at
any time when he thinks their
services are demanded and can hold
them for service during the time that
such emergency lasts or until the
period Of their present enlistments.
No man in the service can be held for
a longer period than that for which
he enlisted in the national guard OF
his state without he reenlists during
such service. The present troops are
still members of the national guard
of the state of Iowa, just as much as
if they were present for duty at their
home stations with the exception. OF
course, that it would be impossible to
secure their services In case Of an
emergency for the reason that they
have been ordered on duty by the
president.
Do Not Become Regulars.
1.-The understanding seems to have
gone out that the men Of these COM
mands are to be taken into the regu-
lar army. This is not the case and
they will remain as members Of the
national guard of this state until they
are returned to their home stations
and will then take up their status in !
the national guard just as they were
before being ordered on duty by the |
president.
Letters have not been answered for
the reason that the officers on duty at
the war department at Washington, D.
c., changed our regulations regarding
the plan Of recruiting after our troops
were ordered into mobilization camp
and directed that all such recruiting
should be done under the officers of
the regular army and through their
own system. I was therefore deter
mined to find out whether men report
ing to be enlisted in our organization
might be persuaded to enlist in the
regular army through these recruit.
ing officers or whether they would be
recruited wholly and solely for serv-
ice in the national guard. I have just
received a statement from the COM
general Of the central depart
ment, in which we are located, that
the recruiting will be done wholly for
our organizations and that any man
who entered the service under this
system will be enlisted in the national
guard of the state of Iowa for specific
and that such recruits
will be enlisted for period Of three
years with the colors ION the active
list of such organization) and three
years in reserve. During the time
they are in the reserve they are not
subject to any duties whatsoever I'M
less the organization to which they
belong is called upon to enter the
service of the United States, and
then only in such numbers as will fill
he organizations up to war stength
which may be specified by the presi
dent"