The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1916-10-03
BOND REPLIES
TO CRITICISMS

by q candidate FOR state once whom
he had slanderedi He Is the same
man who few weeks ago attempted
te make use of the terrible food dis
hster on Cabin creek and Coal river
for political effect ht the expense Of
the unfortunate people who lost
everything they had In the rushing
waters
TN his latest spasm Summers
charges that after more than three
months the Secnod West Virginia In
fantry is not ready to respond TO the
presidents call and that the regiment
has proved such failure the war
department does not dare send 1t to
the front In making such statements
Summers either malIclousiy resorts to
the basest falsehood or shows appall-
ing ignorance OF and utter inability
TO handle the subject he chooses to
write upon The Second infantry has
been In the state mobilization camp
since June 81, The call OF the
president. issued late Sunday. June
is, reached the governor twelve
hours late because the telegram was
flled with company which closed
Sunday evening. The West Virginia
regiment was among the first mobil-
lied and could have been rushed on
to the Mexican border the following
week with us many men In as good
condition and with as serviceable
equipment rs some national guard
regiments that were sent from some
other states. Those In authority pre-
ferred to walt until after various
things had been done. including a
strict physical examination. the adj
ministering OF the oath under the
new defense act and the arrival Of
additional equipment. These matters
were not in the control of the state
military authorities.
1.-THE Second regiment was called
instead Of the First because II was
the ranking regiment and because its
organization was more nearly COM
plete. So far as equipment is con-
cerned the equipment Is carried &c
cordlng to the instructions OF the
war department and is annually in
spected by an officer OF the army. II
It is not up to standard 1t is the fault
OF the system and not of the state
military authorities.
Summers cites an officer Of the
national guard as authority for the
statement that the First infantry has
more men even now than the Second.
The enlisted strength Of the First is
less than eight hundred while the
Second has eleven hundred. The
mastering officer advises me that al
together, including those who were
turned down on physical examination
and those discharged for various
reasons, some two thousand men have
enlisted or offered themselves for en-
listment in the Second. The regi-
ment is not at full war strength and
will not be as long as 1t remains in
the state. Enlistments will be much
faster IL the regiment is sent to the
Mexican border, as young men do
not desire to enlist unless there is
chance for active service. Few, IL
any, national guard regiments have
gone to the border at war strength
and 1t is not required. The regi-
ment has not been. below the mini
mum required strength since mobili-
cation.
Summers charges that the Second
regiment is political machine and
that all the officers. except three, in
the regiment are Republicans. sum
mers knows that he again resorts to
falsehood and besides, he is incon-
sistent. do not know the politics
of probably half of the officers in the
regiment; but II 1t were a Republic
can machine why would 1 have
worked so hard to get 1t ready to be
sent away, especially with an election
but few weeks off? II that were
true it is within the province Of the
war department to dismiss them.
THE Summers article, like its au-
thor, is all wrong, unless 1t be that
part which intimates that the reason
the regiment has not been ordered
to the border rests with Senator Will
liam e. Chiffon and Congressman NJ. !
NJ. Nicely. The Second regiment has
been, inspected and re-inspected; it |
has been pronounced equipped as
well as, If not better than, most regu-
lar army regiments; as to general eff
ficiency it has been rated by in
spectors as the equal of any national
guard regiment in the country; 1t Is
above the equired minimum
strength; it Is made up of men who
are not whining because they have
not been shown special favors, but Of
--------