Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1917-04-06
MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT, FRIDAY APRIL 6, 1917
SOLDIERS MUSTER TODAY
Congress Will Formally Declare
q State of War
First Vermont Regiment Is Ready
A Second May Be Called
MlddIebury Boys Enlist.

"'uulSpuTy poyn CH''st'
Congress is today taking its final vote
on war. The resolution which the SEN
ate passed earlier in the week by a
vote of 50 to 6 declaring the United
States at war with Germany is certain
to pass in the House also, according to
all forecasts from Washington, notwith-
standing that the minority opponents to
the war declaration had developed uneX-
pected strength during the debate last
night. By the time the Register is in
the hands of the readers the die will
have been cast and the conflict which
the nation has 80 patiently avoided will
be upon US in some form.
Vermont has been Fastening her
preparations this week to be ready for
any eventualty. Happily, on the very
day of the expected declaration, her
first regiment which acquitted itself Sc
honorably in Mexican border duty, is
mastering at Fort Ethan Allen. Trains
bound north through Middlebury TO-
day are carrying soldier boys to Bur
lington from Rutland and points south,
with the state equipping them I'M
mediately for service without awaiting
federal help With a million dollars ap.
propriated for national defense, the
State has taken the lead over all other
inland states, and at the very outset
has a record to be proud Of.
Dispatches from Montpelier have in.
dicated the probability Of calling for a
second Vermont Regiment as soon as
the course of the government in prose.
cution Of the war is made clear. There
are few companies of the first regiment
which are, however, full to peace
strength and recruiting to fill the ranks
is going on all over the state.
MIDDLEBURY BOYS ENLIST
Postmaster Calhoun who is recruiting
agent at Middlebury for both the army
and navy has had a week of very active
inquiries from many young men who
expect to enlist as soon as action is be-
gun.
Middlebury boys left last night as
newly enlisted men in the navy. They
are Edward j. Forest, son of Joseph
Forest of Weybridge street who has
been working as a teamster at the Col
lege, and Walter R. Brown, another
teamster who has been in the employ
of his father, A. w. Brown They
have enlisted as third-class firemen and
are now reporting to the receiving
station at the Brooklyn Navy Yard,
New York, for assignment to duty.
Alfred j. Cole, 17-year-old son of Felix
Cole, is leaving today to join the lst
Regiment V. N. G., at Fort Ethan
Allen. Cole has been one of the bell
boys at the Addison House recently,
and was formerly employed at Hen
rick's meat market. He enlisted in
Co. C, of the guard last fall, but did
not see service.
Richard Fredette, 2O-year-old son of
Mrs. John Fredette, cook at one of
the fraternity houses, left yesterday for
Brattleboro to join Co. |, in which he
enlisted last fall.
The town listers completed this week
their census of men of military age in
Middlebury and found 59S, including
college boys-just lacking two of 600,
The college trustees, as announced else
where have recognized the advisability
of establishing military instruction
at Middlebury on a formal basis, and
application has been made to the War
Department at Washington for the de-
tail of an army officer here as instructor.
In the meantime the provisional military
company at the college will go on with
its training under Professor Raymond
M 1T ,lonJ