Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1916-06-23
WILL TAKE TINE
TO SECURE men
National Guard Is Far Short d
Peace Strength,
REGIMENTS LACK EQUIPMENT

While Most State Militia Organizations
Are in Good Condition on a Peace
Basis They Will Need a Vast Guam
tity Of Supplies to Place Them on q
War Footing.
Washington, June 20.-No one knows
better than the division of militia at
fairs of the war department the all
ments of the national guard, which the
present mobilization promises to do q
great deal to correct. There are So
we're shortages Of men and material
alike.
Some time will be necessary to re-
cruit the $4,000 men the national guard
lacks to make up even its peace
strength of $4,000. 1t is short by
$4,000 men of it's full war strength
Of $4,000.
OF the twelve divisions existing on
paper only two, the Sixth New York
and the Seventh Pennsylvania, have
divisional headquarters organized.
OF the thirty-six brigades, on paper,
making up these divisions, only twen-
ty-eight have their headquarters or
ganized.
For the 127 regiments of infantry
and cavalry there should be 635 ma
chine guns. At last reports few
weeks ago there were only 172 in the
possession of the various regiments.
The ordnance department had only
seventy-seven available. 1Here were
sixty-seven others in the s. coast de-
Tense, but they were needed there.
Transportation Is Important
Transportation is Of the utmost i'm
portance in any field operation and
this will be particularly true in Mexi-
co. Yet the Sixth New York vision
is the only one with complet' regi-
mental and divisional wagon trains.
The Seventh Pennsylvania has COM
plete regimental trains, but needs lis
wagons to complete the divisional
trains. There are no wagons at all
for the trains Of the other ten dfvt-
sions.
The regiments of these divisions
need 623 wagons to complete their
regular trains. Illinois has enough
wagons for it's regiments. AS num-
Der Of states have not sufficient stop
age space the government has stored
at the Jeffersonville depot 279 wagons
with the necessary harness issued to
these states. When they need the wa
CONS and harnesses, they will have to
wait until they can be shipped from
Jeffersonville.
The national guard troops are sup
piled with enough equipment for their
peace strength, but, like the regulars.
would need additional arms, clothing.
and equipment for the men enlisted to
bring them to war strength. The
same holds true with regard to their
tentage
Signal Men Are Scarce.
Just as the regular army's division
al organization is badly weakened BY
the fragmentary units of signal men
and medical corps, and ambulance and
is suffering from the same lack. Its
wants are much more acute. in fact.
OF the twelve army divisions into
which the militia is divided only ono
has it's quota of field batteries. This
is New York. which in many ways
shows by far the best record of the
states. It's crack Seventh regiment Is
rated excellent" and other organiza-
tons make striking showing.
Only few regiments in the whole
militia organization boast machine
gun company and still fewer have .
supply company, though additions
have been and are being provided
since the Columbus raid. Many city
regiments. however. show coed rat
ings for their medical and engineer
corps and many army men say that
the best material for both these corps
is always to be developed among the
experts who would volunteer only in