Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1917-03-30
URGES COUNTY MILITIA
Prof. Mcfarland Wants to Form
Three Companies.
College Training Corps Would
Furnish Instructors N Young
Men Would Get Together.

A scheme for the organization OF
three military companies in Addison
County Is proposed by Professor Ray
mond Mcfarland Of MiddIebury College
in an open letter
1t was Professor Mcfarland who re-
Gently organized the Training Corps
among Middebury College students, and
in outlining well,de6ned plan for
county organization he agrees to furnish
the necessary drill instructors if the
young men Of the county will respond
to the call,
"True, the Government has not called
us YETI, he says, "but let us call the
Government!
His letter folows;-
To the Editor Of the Register;
Every indication points to the OPEN
ING of actual hostilities with Germany
before April passes. With the United
States on the verge of taking its part in
the Great War which must be fought
through to safe and just conclusion,
why should there be delay in preparing
young men for the service, in so far as
conditions will allow?
What should be Addison County, part
in the great conflict? The eris, more
than the average for the State of Yer
mont. The county has heroic traditions
to uphold; this is the favorite stamping
ground for the bravest of the Green
Mountain Boys; the county has had no
military company for number of years,
it sent no company of troops to the
Mexican border recently, consequently
il needs to do more than some other
parts of the State in order to make its
average good
In the Civil War there were ten en-
listments for every hundred people in
| Vermont. Is it too much to expect that
Addison County should furnish at least
one-tenth the proportion that was fur.
nshed in 1860? On that basis this
county should aspire to furnish a
battalion of three companies, one com
pany from the towns north of Middle
bvry, a second company from the towns
to the south, and a third company from
the Middlebury College undergraduates
and young alumni On the basis Of one
man for every hundred people the towns
would contribute about AS follows: Ad-
Olson, s; Bridport, 8; Bristol, 20; Corn
wall, s; Ferrisburg, Ia; Goshen, 2;
Granville, 5; Hancock, 3; Leicester a;
Lincoln, 10; Middlebury %; Monk
ton, 7; New Haven, IL; Orwell, II;
Panton, 3; Ripton, a. Salisbury, Z;
Shoreham, II; Starksboro, 8; Yer
GENES, Is; Waltham, 2; Weybridge, 5;
Whiting, 3; total, 1873. This number
does not include the Mddlebury College
company, nor any boys who might be
enrolled from the Vergennes Industrial
| School.
Young men should be drilling in every
town in the county now. Opportunity
for military drill and training should be
afforded to youth in all parts of Add
son County even before formal decla-
ration of war with Germany. Guns and
other equipment will not be forthcoming
from the Government for several weeks,
perhaps months; yet young men should
be drilling in squads and patoons
wherever it is possible to get a bunch
of fellows together. In the past six
weeks the men of Middlebury College
have made very satisfactory progress
in squad and platoon drills although they
are not supplied with guns or other
equipment; they are now using oak
sticks in place of rifles in learning the
manual of arms Other young men
could do as much, whether they live at
Middlebury or in other parts of the
county.
There might be four principal CEN
ters for military drill and instruction in
the county where men from the sur
rounding towns might assemble twice a
week, or oftener: Vergennes, for the
towns of Ferrisburg. Panton, Addison,
Waltham and New Haven; Bristol, for
the towns of Monkton, Starksboro, and
Lincoln; Mddlebury, for Cornwall, Rip
ton, Salisbury end Weybrdge; and
Shoreham, for Bridport, Orwell, Whit
ing and Leicester. If young men
throughout Addison County are willing
to meet at these centers twice every
week the writer will undertake to sup
ply men from Middebury College who
have had military instruction to act as
drill officers; it would afford excellent
practice to the college men who are
looking forward to commissions through
the Reserve Officers Corps, it would be
fine thing to the young men of the
surrounding towns who have never had
opportunity for military instruction and
drill.
Think it over, young men and adults
of Addison County. Somebody should
start some patriotic movement in every
town. Within short time this county
will be expected to do its bit. Why be
wholly unprepared when the time
comes? Somebody says, 'But the
Government has not called us yet. Very
true. Let US call the Government.
RAYMOND MCFARLAND.