Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1916-09-12
MAY LOSE REGIMENT
STATUS OF FORMER NATIONAL
GUARD UNIT UNKNOWN.
Old Third Oregon Infantry Has Ceas-
ed To Exist-Can 1t Be Resur-
rected Is Question.

tne Ieuefal SeINlce, VI lhe Inn"
gon Infantry, stationed at CAM
Withycombe since its return from tn
border last week, gives rise to a sit
uation which is causing several of it
officers and Major Wilson, acting ad
general of the Oregon Nation
al Guard, no end Of worry.
This has to do with the status oil
the old Third Regiment of the Ore
con National Guard. When the Ma
tional Guard troops were mustered
into the federal service as the Third
Oregon Infantry, the Third Infantry
of the National Guard for the time
being ceased to exist. Now the prob
lem is how to get the federalized
troops back into the National Guard
regiment.
All would be well had the Third
Oregon men taken the new National
Guard oath as required Of all Ma
tional Guard troops by the army APP
preparation measure passed by the
late congress. All would even yet be
well if all the men of the Third Ore
con were willing to take this oath up.
on their muster-out as federal troops.
That, however, is the hitch in the
program. Many Of the troops do not
want to take the National Guard
oath, and it appears almost certain
that if any effort is made to require
them to take it before they are mus
tered out, they will refuse to do so.
And a recent decision by federal
Judge in the case of Massachusetts
guardsmen who refused to answer the
mobilization call, and were arrested,
would seem to show that they would
be entirely within their rights in so
refusing.
The court in that case released the
guardsmen on a writ Of habeas cor
pus, holding that they had right to
refuse.
Major Wilson, it is understood, has
orders from the war department that
if the Third Oregon does not take
the National Guard oath before mus
ter-out it is to be disbanded and
cease to exist as military organiza-
ton. As many ef the men are pro-
testing against taking the oath.
which they interpret as binding them
to six more years Of service in the
National Guard, the status of the
Third Regiment of Infantry, Oregon
National Guard, appears to be pre-
carious.
The war department will not accept
he oath from scattered troops, but
requires that before the oath can be
to any unit the whole
membership must agree to take it.
Such a decision as to the status of
the regiment was given to Captain
Kenneth P. Williams, Uni ed States
officer for Oregon, upon
MS request for a ruling, before the
troops left for the border.
There may, however, be a loophole,
ind the possibility thereof, is under
stood to have been discussed ar q
in regimental headouar.
ers at Camp Withycombe on Satur-
lay, attended by Major Wilson. Col
mel Mclaughlin, of the Third Ore.
on, and a few of the higher officers
+ the regiment. This loophole would
e to discharge objecting members
efore the muster-out of their com
Ianies.
AT the same time considerable
oubt is expressed as to whether this
an be done, as the muster-out is
niformly by companies, and all prior
lseharges must be passed upon and
by the war department II
barely possible that an effort will
2 made to prevail upon the war de
artment to recognize the refusal of
soldier to take the oath as a eause
II his discharge in order that the
'th may be administered TO units
The oath taken by the troops of the
lrd Oregon when they were mus.
red into the federal service differs
We important particular from the
atl%al Guard oath now required by
of congress. That is the length
sertiee. The troops of the Third
'eggh enlisted for three years. nm
Ssooner discharged. The new Ma.
'nal Guard oath requires enlist.
mt for three years of active SER
e and three years in the reserve
The oath which the troops of tbe
lrd Oregon took when they entered
federal service follows:
l. = born in, in the state
=, do hereby acknowledge toll
We voluntarily enlisted this II
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