Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-07-17
WASHINGTON MEN
SLOW TO ENLIST
Officers of Third Infantry Urqe
Citizens to Start Vigorous
Campaign.
ASSERT THE GUARDSMEN
HAVE DONE THEIR DUTY
Believe Blame for Failure to Recruit
Regiment Rests With People
at Home.

| Recruiting enough men to fill all OF
the organizations now at Camp Ordway
is the matter uppermost in the minds OF
officers and men today. Particular inter-
est attaches to the efforts of the Sd In
fantry. battalion of which was prevent
ed from leaving today because the De-
partnent of the East did not want a bat
talon at time to go to Bisbee.
| The members of the list Battalion and
the machine company were disappointed
! wanted at this time.
Col. Glendie B. Young, commanding
the Sd Infantry, said he looked to the
citizens of Washington to start a cam
paign to obtain recruits for the infan-
try SO that enough men could be OBJ
tanned to send it to the front. While
squads of men went to the city in an
effort to get men to enlist in the guard,
he said officers and men in camp now
should not be expected by the people
of Washington to leave their duties
here in training the troops and come to
the city and stir up interest in enlist
mentS.
He asserted that the citizens and bust
ness men should have enough pride in
the city to start campaigns to get
young men to enlist for duty at the
front.
The failure to get enough men to
answer the call is not a reflection on
the officers and men now in camp, all
of whom have left their families. their
homes and their business in order to
perform any service which the coun-
try calls upon them to perform, but
it is a reflection on the population now
at home.
The people should band together and
have a mass meeting. or have limited
campaign to stir up interest. He felt
that If some such movement were to
10 90
representative cities that 1t would bear
results.
Lieut.. j. R. Mickey. who has been
acting as recruiting officer In Wash
lngton. has been relieved. and Lieut..
L. LIE G. johnson has been detailed in
his place.
Eighty-one Men Needed.
There are eighty-one able-bodied
white men somewhere in Washington
who ought to be at Camp Ordway
doing their bit with the Sd Infantry.
BY their failure to respond to the
colors they are keeping nearly a thou
sand other men. who are doing their
bit from going to the border.
This Is the feeling of the officers of
the Sd Regiment of District of Column
bia Infantry now in camp here, un-
dDlc 10 move DeCduS6 Oh lne lack OIL
men. In other respects they are pre-
pared, well drilled, newly QUILTED and
with modern equipment to make their
service marches easier.
The officers are indignant because of
the failure of youth to respond. Every
other state. they point out, is getting
men. campaigns have been started by
trade organizations to get recruits, and
they have been successful. while Wash
ington stands idly by and permits it's
regiment of infantry to remain at the
original mobilization camp, all be-
cause eighty -one men have not seen
At to answer the call. If this number
should respond today or tomorrow the
regiment would move to the front and
move quickly. II they do not respond
the organization will remain here until
they do.
The officers point out that 1t is up to
the men of Washington to show just
how far the patriotic spirit of the Ma
tional Capital prevails. In the men
rests the decision as to when the regi-
ment goes. The Eastern Department
says 1t will go as soon as companies
are recruited to minimum peace
strength of sixty-flve men each.