The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-06-20
AMBULANCE CORPS
 BEING FORMED HERE !. FOR ARMY SERVICE
Chief Surgeon O'COnnell Issues Call for Volunteers
 in This Branch

Owing to the fact that Alabama will have the required number of troops to answer the Presidents call to war rant an ambulance corps, officers of the medical corps of the Alabanla Ma tional Guard took steps yesterday to form one immediately. At present only a very few states in the union have ambulance corps and the call for vol unteers for this branch of the serv ice came yesterday after investiga tion revealed that Alabama wos en- titled to this assistance to the medical corps.
 George A. OConnell, acting chief surgeon for the state. issued a call yesterday appealing to all able bod,ed men to enlist in this branch of the service. About 65 men are wanted. All men who wish to join this branch of the guard should enlist before First Lieut.. Robert F. Ashworth at the city hall today at the sanitary cor pany's arniory.
 Lieutenant Ashworth will have charge of the recruiting. q expect to enlist the 65 men easily before ,ur de- parture for Montgomery ne said. "The ambulance service is one of the most important in the army anc since Ala bama has the privilege of organizing one I think that the compa nies from Birmingham should leave here fully equipped.
 "A large number of men in Birming- ham have told me of the'- desire to join such branch of the army and it is upon these requests that we are do ing so. The enlisting will be continued until we receive the necessary mum ber We expect no trouble in securing the desired number and hope ths the ambulance corps will leave Birming- ham with the remainder of the troops fully equipped and organized"
 Lieutenant Ashworth will be at the headquarters at the city hall through out the day.
 Officials are busy working out the num- Der that must be supplied and the quick est way of securing them.
 Another step taken at the war depart ment today was preparation of orders calling out doctors of the medical reserve corps to examine guardsmen for mus ter into the federal service The depart ihSut Will iuSlSL upOI lHt IlISu ply standards of the regular army. In some states that already is required and there will be little delay. In others there is reason to believe, officers say, that men incapable of arduous military service have been enrolled for thep urpose of keeping the corps up to the minimum strength for federal recognition and par ticipation in federal appropriations.
 MANY ARE UNSUITED
 In this connection, it has been learned that 1OS0 men of the New Mexico Ma tional Guard, called out some weeks ago, were found unsuted for federal service Only three companies from that state, it is said, have been mustered in up to date, the others awaiting recruitment to the required minimum of 65 men.
 The pension board has written Secre- tary Baker congratulating him on the fact that physical standards for enlist ment have not been lowered in the reg ular army because of the difficulty in get ting men. The examination of all guards men has been ordered to protect the pen sion rolls from undue imitation.
 No additional orders had been sent to the state troops tonight and none will be sent to any unit until it has com pleted muster into the federal service. AS fast as this work is accomplished, General Funston will be informed that a given number of infantry, cavalryy or artillery troops are available for his use. He will designate the place on the border to which he desires forces of then will designate the troops to go and arrange for their prompt transporta- tion.
 IF WAR COMES
 There is nothing to indicate how many troops vii be required immediate ly, although in the event of an open breach with the Mexican government the whole force probably would be sent to general mobilization camps at suita- ble points near the international line. It has been suggested that 25,000 ad- ditional men would be sufficient to stiffen the border guard for present purposes. If that number were sent forward immediately, part of those remaining at state mobilization points probably would be granted furloughs until time for them to relieve those in active service, who in turn would be given furloughs. The plan contemplates distributing the duty of guarding the border as evenly as possible among all give the guard needed training and greatly increase the efficiency of the force against future emergencies.
 Should war come, it Is virtually cer- tain that the remainder of the mobile troops of the National Guard proba- bly, 30,00O strong, would be ordered out. This force might be supplemented by call for volunteers unless the de- partment found it possible to re- cruit the regular army up to the in- creased strength authorized under the new army bill In any event, President Wilson probably will fix the size of the regular army under that act at the full strength authorized by law. giving a total of close to 300,00 regular troops. 1O~~@-00