The Washington herald., 1917-04-13
Third Will RECRUIT
TO MAXIMUM STRENGTH
Second Battalion Relieves First Sepa
rate Unit in Patrol Duty.

The War Department issued orders
yesterday to the command OF the Third
Regiment. District militia. to recruit up
to maximum peace strength. 100 men per
line company.
This order revokes an order of a week
ago for the regiment to suspend enlist
ing men temporarily. It also indicates
that the local citizen soldiers are to
strengthen their command by the addi-
ton of about 800 more recruits.
The morning report submitted to Col.
Glendie B. Young stated that there were
962 men in the Third. This number is
depleted by 76 discharges for physical
charges are to become effective for ex-
rired enlistments. s1
Today a campaign will be begun to
get men to join the District Militia. Lieut..
Robert s. Boyd will be in charge of re-
cruiting details for the Third. The main
city depot will be at the L Street Armory.
Men also will be enlisted at Fort Myer,
where the regiment now is In camp.
By maximum peace strength a COM
, pany of infantry Is authorized to build
up its command to 100 men. Minimum
peace strength is Go men. Some OF the
companies of the Third are now below
| minimum peace strength.
The Third Regiment has twelve line
companies. a machine gun company, a
supply company. and a hospital detach-
ment. The later three commands do not
take a complement of 100 men, however.
They are said by officials to be in fair
condition. from the standpoint OF man.
power. They need, however. a few more
recruits.
The Second Battalion of the Third
broke camp yesterday morning and be-
gan guard patrol duty in the District
and in Maryland. Three companies were
strung out over thirteen and one-half
miles of the Conduit road and adjacent
territory from the Aqueduct Bridge to
Great Falls, Guarding the aqueduct
which supplies the city with water.
One company is held in reserve, while
the patrol is being done by the other
three. Bivouacs are placed about every
| four miles apart. The squad patrols
doing duty in intervening stretches each
have tent protection against inclement
weather.
This detail relieved the First Separate
| Battalion, colored. which had patrolled
this stretch for several days.
Members of the First Separate Bat
talon were transferred yesterday. to
guard the city's bridges and a dStach-
ment was sent to the Washington Steel
and Ordnance plant.
Two more battalions OF the Third are
at Fort Myer. awaiting orders. 1t is
confidently believed they will be given
an assignment shortly, and though Of
ficers believe there is no imminent need
of their police duty in the District, they
will be called on to further strengthen
the existing patrols.
Capt. Charles G. Harvey. provost mar
shal OF the District. declared last night
that the first and third battalions of the
Third Regiment, District militia, would
be held temporarily in camp at Fort Myer
for drill training.
These are fighting men," he said. "and
they will be called on to fight when their
country needs them.
We are aiming to have the govern
ment departments stand on their own
feet as far as being able to guard them
selves is concerned.
THE infantrymen are not policemen.
and the sooner We can impress that on
the public, the better.
There is no knowing what assign
ment the Third Regiment will get. Tenn
porarily they will be held here. We can
not say whether the War Department
will order them to duty elsewhere yet.
Much depends on the passage of the army
bill"