The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-05-08
War Department to Send
Nine Regiments at Earli-
est Possible Moment
NEARLY 10000 MEN
IN THE EXPEDITION
VIII Be Engaged i'll Railroad Work -
Men viii Volunteer and Appeal Is
Made to Those Who Have Had EX-
perience i'll Constructive Work.

perlence Ill constructive WoIk'
WASHINGTON, May S.--Amomce-
ment wa, made 10y the war department
Yesterday that orders had beea given
tor the forming of nine regiments Of
army engineers. which will he sent to
France as quickly as possible for rail.
road work along the lines Of military
communications.
There Will Doe more than 1000 mon in
each regiment, or nearly 10000 in the
expedition. Two regular army engineer
officers - q colonel and a lieutenant
colonel will bc assigned to each rcgi
ucut. The other officers will be chosen
from the Engineer Officers, Reserve
corps. the members Of which have been
commissioned. or who viii be chosen in
the near future.
William Barclay Parsons, tine en-
nent engineer, who was connected with
sha construction of the Panama caral
aud OF the New York subway -"ss"m,
| aud who has already been commissioned
a major in the Engineer Officers Re
serve corps. win he attached TO regl-
n.cnt TO be- formed ina New York. This
| regiment has been in process of forma-
| ION FOR several weeks. and will consist
| largely Of men who have had experience
| in connection with the construction of
large public works.
| The official announcement of the plan
was given out through Major Douglas
NacArhur, the army censor. a, fol
lows:
..1he war department has sent out
orders for the raising a rapidly as
| possible of nine additional regiments of
| engineers. who are destined to proceed
| 10 France mt the earliest possible mo.
nent ton railroad worI, ON the lines OF
| communications.
sit +, requested Of the press that ne
spe,uatiuus on rumois regarding this
sorcc he carried hy them, other than
hose given out by the war depart
mout. All "details With regard 90 thu
force will br released BY the depart
ment rs fast as compatible with the
public interest.
THE recruiting points for these regi
mputs will ho New York City, ~. Louis
| Chicago. Boston, Pittsburgh, Detroit
Atlauta. san Francisco. and Phladel
phia.
1.-Two officers from the regular corp,
If engineer, viii be assigned to eacl
.egimeut. but the names of these off
,r> will not bc released az the proscu
time. -
These new regiments OF engineer
will Toe formed under the terms of ia,
national defense act of June ,, 1916
which prescribed that I'm time of wa
he army might hc provided with sucl
additional units of special characte
rs were required i'm addition to the rs
Adjustment OF fighting men provide
~ law. The men 10 b' enlisted vii
not he drafted. They will be volun
GERS. and appeal is being made 10
those who nave had railway. bridge
building, subway, and other engineer
| | ~ experience.
The formation OF the units Is the rc
ult OF conferences between American
military officials and the members O
he British and French war missions.
II The regiment TO be sent from Ney
lork viii he designated the First Re
| serve Engineers. On Nav > the wa
department. issued orders directing lie
| commissioned officers OF the Eneimee
| Officers Reserve corps who had bee
| assigned to the First Reserve engineer.
| q report in person to Lieut Co
| Charles II. McKnstry, Corps OF En-
| yinccrs. Amy building, New York, fo
| luty IN connection with the recmitin
| If men in the engineers enlisted 70
| serve corps and the organization to b
| known as the. First Reserve Engineer
II New York city.