The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-07-01
New Law Regulating the Guardsmen Goes Into
 Effect Today
EXAMINATIONS ARE
 NOW LESS SEVERE
Hospital Quarters for Sick One of the Most Interesting Places in the Montgomery Mobiliza-
 ton Camp

Montgomery, June 30.-(Special )-Four
 thousand and some odd officers and men
 of the Alabama National Guard in mo-
 bilization at Vandiver park, near Mont
 gomery, will tomorrow, under the new
 liberalization act, become part of the
 United States National Guard, sworn to
 defend the constitution of the United
 States and the constitution of the state
 of Alabama, against both foreign and do-
 nestle enemies, and sworn to serve their countrys need both at home and abroad All of which is to say that tomorrow, July l, the new liberalization becomes effective in every state and territory and that every individual National Guard or ganization becomes part of the federal army. The men composing the Alabama National Guard have, with few excep- tions, signed with perfect willingness the new federal enlistment oath. It is safe to say that there will be less than 40
 men composing the entire state troops who will refuse to sign the government contract.
 As indicated in The Age-Herald some days ago, the new enlistment oath makes lit incumbent upon members of the Ma tional Guard, who joined the state troops prior to July 1, to serve out the term of their enlistment under the new federal- ga on act Persons who enlisted two years ago in the National Guard will have only one year longer to serve under the federalizatio act but that year will be | in the service of the United States Ma | tional Guard.
 Men enlisting after tomorrow will be | required to sign an oath for three years l of active service and for three years as reservists. The oath of officers shows slight modification, though in the main | there is little difference.
 EXAMINATION LESS STRINGENT The principal development at the mo- bilization camp today was the issuance of orders from Washington to the various surgeons in charge of the medical exami- | nations moderating the severity of these inspections. Under the terms of the new order minor details are to be overlooked | in the examination or officers and men, such as few pounds under or over weight, and slight physical defects that 1 will not impair their efficiency in the field. l The medical examiners at first were very severe, and as a result a number l of officers and men were rejected. Most of the rejections, however, was the re- | suit of underweight. It is expected that | many of those rejected for minor req 1 sons will now be allowed to pass the | examination.
 1 Maj. William l.. Little, United States l army surgeon, lately attached to the Fourteenth United States cavalry, is in charge of the medical examinations, and l he has as assistants three or four sur geons connected with the state guard CONCENTRATION CAMP FOR SICK One of the show places at the mobliza- 1 tion camp is the hospital quarters, ar ranged for the sick. This is concen- tration camp to which all persons in the regiment are sent. As yet, however there has been little need for the hospital, for there have been few cases of sickness The health of the soldiers has been un- usually good
 The mastering of soldiers continued | throughout the day. eight companies hav- ing been mustered into the federal serv- ice. These were Companies F. Fourth
 regiment; F, First regiment c, Fourth regiment; G. First regiment A, Second regiment; M First regiment; I, Fourth regiment and Battery A, Birmingham All of the companies showed up well
 In numbers, the average membership per
 company being in the neighborhood of 100 men. Battery A mustered 152 men. FEW REFUSE OATH Col. w. F. Weiss, commander of the Second regiment, this afternoon gave to the press a statement in which he expressed the opinion that less than 20 men in his regiment will have failed to sign the new oath of enlistment by the time their companies are mustered into the federal service. Colonel Weiss explained the difference between the signing of the mastering rolls. None of the soldiers were coerced into signing the new oath, he said, though it was found necessary to discipline some of them who refused to sign it. He de- clared that in practically every instance where the men had been made to under stand just what was needed and re- qu1red of them there was no trouble. Signing the muster roll does not ob- ligate man in any other way than was covered in his original oath of enlist ment," said Colonel Wes The prepar- ation and signing of muster rolls is merely of pay rolls, morning reports, ration returns and such other papers as are necessary to the proper administra- tion of military affairs.
 "The two main features of the recent act of Congress known as the army re- organization bill. which federalizes the National Guard, and which becomes eff fective July l, are that the National Guards, on taking a new oath, render themselves liable to call of the Presi- dent for either home or foreign serv- ices. The other feature is that the Ma tional Guard is to be placed on pay basis.
 This new oath is voluntary and would not be binding otherwise. The form for this oath is printed separately
 and has no action or bearing whatever
 with the signing of the muster rolls, notwithstanding the impression that is prevailing which has been causing more or less confusion. Organizations will be mustered without regard to the sign ing of the new oath other than that which they took when they signed the original enlistment. After date, how ever. no man can go into the National Guard without first signing the new oath Failure to sign the muster rolls at this time renders man liable to court martial the same as failure to