Rocky Ford enterprise., 1916-07-14
STATECAPITOL
NEWS
Western Newspaper Union News Service.
WILL REoRGANIZE GUARDS.
Colorado Will Have Real Army When
Mexican Trouble Is Over.

Mexican Trouble Is Over.
Denver.-Still optimistic as to their
chances Of fighting the Mexicans
whom they regard as foe to be
whipped sooner or later, the soldiers
at Golden Rifle Range are putting in
the last licks in preparation for active
service on the border. The fact that
the Montana troops passed through
Denver on their way to the border has
encouraged the Colorado boys to be
lieve that they. also, will 60 soon.
But whether they see active service
en- the border or not, there are nearly
1900 well-trained soldiers at the Rifle
Range-men who can be counted upon
at any future time when the country
may need their services The military
camp at Plattsburg. N. Y, was started
and military training given to those
who volunteered TO attend. when
there was no other incentive to mill
tary training than a remote possibil-
ity of war.
The threatened war with Mexico, ac-
cording to regular army officers at
the Rifle Range. may prove God
send to this country. 1t awakened
the country to the fact that war is
thing always to be reckoned with and
that the country should be ready when
the time came, according to these Of
ficers.
Wi en- President Wilson discharges
the army of guardsmen. the Colorado
National Guard will no longer be in
existence. Every man who enlisted
in the United States army will be un-
conditionally discharged. Immediate
ly thereafter Gen. Gamble will start
to reorganize a new Colorado guard.
The officers and men who, at the call
of the state of Colorado. enlisted in
the guard, will be invited to re-enlist.
Most of them will. They will be neil
| who have learned at least the rudi-
ments of the military profession and
who have come to understand the ne
cessity for discipline and regular
drills. In other words, the state guard
of the trouble between this country
and Mexico.
Mai. P. J. Hamrock Of the First
separate battalion of infantry believes
that the Colorado infantry organiZa-
ton will be reorganized as a most eff
ficient body of citizen soldiery. I'VE
should be equipped with the latest
machine guns, automobile trucks and
devices for modern warfare" said he.
"The day of the cavalry charge is
past and from now on all the great
charges will be made with infantry,
supported by armored motor trucks
and motorcycles carrying machine
guns"
Adjutant General Gamble has issued
a second call for men to fill the ranks
of the states militia.
coIorado's Gold and silver Production
Colorado was the greatest producer
of the precious metals in the entire
United States in 1915. This state
mined $2,732, 200 more gold and silver
combined than its nearest competitor,
California. Colorado's total precious
metal production amounted to $780,
l22.70O. California's was $23,390, 800.
California was the greatest gold pro.
ducer. turning out $22,547.400 worth
OF metal. Colorado, which was sec
ond on the gold list. fell only $1G,6O0
behind California. But Colorado pro-
duced 1881 800 worth of silver-be-
ing fifth among the country's silver
producers-while California yielded
only $S43.lO0 worth of the white
| metal