The Washington herald., 1916-06-20
National Guard Recruiting Of
fees Here Crowded All
Through Day.
FIGURES MAY REACH 700
More Than 400 Enlist at One
Station in Less Than
Twenty-four Hours.
HUNDREDS OF BOYS REJECTED
Police Are Required to Keep Back
Throngs of Curious at L
Street Armory.
FIGURES MAY REACH 700
HUNDREDS OF BOYS REJECTED

With recruiting stations in various
sections of the city still crowded as
the midnight hour approached, Off
cials OF the District National Guard
paused long enough in the rush of
preparations ito formulate an estimate
of the net result of the days enlist
ment campaign.
Their conservative estimate was,
that during the day, fully 500 persons
filled out papers with the local mill
tia. Others estimated the number as
considerably higher. probably about
700, but when the final tabulations
are made this morning. the figures.
in the opinion of those at militia
headquarters. will be close to 500
Rough estimates made late last
night by officials regarding the en-
listment. by the individual units COM
posing the brigade. are as follows:
Infantry regiment, ESQ.
Separate battalion of infantry. COL
ored. 50.
Field Hospital, 10.
Battery A. Field Artillery. IS.
Battery B, Field Artillery, 40.
Signal Corps, 80.
This makes a total of AS, but as re-
cruiting continued for some time after
this estimate was made, It Is very pos
sibIe that the grand total is somewhat
in excess of 500.
Four Hundred at One station
The greatest amount of recruiting was
done at the station at 1225 Pennsylvania
avenue northwest. which was thronged
fcontinuously until late last night AL
thought the exact number Of enlistlnents
was not recorded, officials estimated that
approximately 400 persons joined at this
one station. As this is a general re-
cruiting Office all of the papers were sent
Immediately to the L street armory,
where assignment to the various units
composing the brigade was made.
Scores of mere boys were rejected at
he Pennsylvania avenue station because
hey were under IS years of age. They
.ould not even make a blur by saying
hey were IS for no one possibly could
have believed them. SO childish did they
look. A large percentage Of the recruits
were between the ages OF Is and p.
All occupations were represented by
those who filed out papers. There were
carpenters. clerks, teamsters, office boys,
butchers. and students.
The total number Of men who filled out
application blanks does not represent the
number of men actually enlisted A GER
tain percentage Of the applicants failed
to pass the rigid physical examination
The number of militiamen will be still
further cut down when the entire brigade
is subjected TO a still more rigid physical
examination by regular army surgeons
during the mustering-in period at Fort
Myer
Each Of the twelve companies of the
infantry regiment had it's individual re-
cruiting station in operation at the L
Street Armory until nearly midnight
Each company enlisted approximately
twenty men. The corridors were crowded
with enlisted men in Khaki. and green
looking recruits. and officials in shirt
sleeves, and husky men hurrying to and
fro with arms full OF blanket rolls and
canteens and haversacks. Outside a spe-
ciaI detail Of policemen kept the big crowd
in check.
signal Corps Has Umces.
The Signal Corps, Field Artillery
batteries. Field Hospital and Cavalry
Troop had recruiting stations in full
blast at 22s First street northwest. The
present strength Of the Signal Corps is
70 men. fifty OF whom are radio opera
tors. The radio men will not be taken
20 Fort Myer, unless the militia decides
to organize a radio battalion One hun
dred and sixty-three men would be re-
auired for such Il unit. There are enough
applications on file to organize such a
unit by nightfsIl, according to officials.
The Signal Corps will take only seventy
I'VE men into the field. Eight of these
men will be weeded out at Fort Myer.
to be replaced by eight Western Union
operators II they can be obtained The
hfty persons who filed out papers yes