Norwich bulletin., 1917-07-17
HOME GUARD IS
 READY FOR DUTY
May Be Called Upon to Take Place of
 the National Guard.

Connecticut's Home Guard is ready for whatever duty it may be called up- on to perform after the National Guard leaves the state, according to a report made to the Connecticut State Council of Defense by Colonel Lucien F. Bur- pee, chairman of the military emerg- ency board, which has organized the Home Guard, and also chairman of the state protection sub committee of the defense council.
 Colonel Burpee's report includes a statement describing briefly the organ ization of the Connecticut Home Guard. This part of the report is print ed herewith:
 Tn pursuance of an act of the gen. eral assembly passed March g. the gov ernor appointed the Military Elmer gency Board 10 take action to perfect and maintain 9. body of armed troops for constabulary duty within this state, to be known as the Home Guard. At that time the state did not own or control a single rife, uniform or any part of military equipment, except such 8 were in use by the two companies of Governors Foot Guard. Therefore, in addition to enlisting a body of troops for constabulary duty, the board was called upon to supply them in every detail with everything necessary to make them a body of armed troops. While the board called for enlistments it also contracted for the necessary arms and supplies.
 At tho outset it was not deemed advisa bIe to arm and equip more than 5000 men, distributed among the diff ferent branches oof service. The re- sponse to the call for enlistments. how ever. was unexpectedly prompt and generous from all parts of the state. On April 17 reports received at the headquarters indicated that more than 10000 men had been enlisted and partly organized into companies of i4L fantry and other units. At that time san in process of formation. Of that num- Der. the Military Emergency Board at that time, decided to accept only si e- ty-seven. This action caused great dissatisfa ction throughout the state and the patriotic enthusiasm of those who had not been but who were anx- ious to be put into the active line of the Home Guard manifested itself with great pressure upon the members of the general assembly. As a result, on May 16, act was passed providing that when any organization shall have been enlisted prior to the passage of the act, it may be accepted equipped and maintained by the emergency board, and authorized and directed the governor and board of control to ap- prove the expenditure of such sums as shall be made by that board to carry out the provisions of the act Ac- cordingly on May 21, thirty-four ad- ditional companies of infantry were accepted and these with machine gun companies and other orga nizations raised the total number of military units to 134.
 This force consists of about s,432 infantry. 306 in machine gun com panies, 200 in transport companies, 150 in a naval battalion, and eighty-five in a troop and a platoon of cavalry In addition, there are such units as reg mental supply and headquarters com panies and a medical corps. The total force, partly or wholly organized, is about $500 men.
 This force has been organized i'm to six regiments, and sevaral hattalions and companies of infantry, six ma chine gun companies, four transport companies, a naval battalion of two divisions. one in Hartford and one in Middletown, one troop and one pia- xoon of cavalry, besides the auxiliary units just referred to. Of these or ganizations, 107 have been fully uni formed, equipped and armed. The board now has on hand probably sufficient number of rifles with which to arm the remaining units which have been ac- cepted, but will have to buy additional uniforms and equipment. Undoubtedly in the process of inspection and medi- cal examination, a number of men will have to be dropped or placed in the reserve, thereby reducing the total ef- fective force somewhat.
 The total number of men who have been enlisted Is approximately 14,oo0."