The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-03-28
MUSTER-OUT OF
NATIONAL GUARD
ORDERED CEASED

Washington March 23-Orders is.
sued by the War Department yester-
day, under instructions from Presi-
dent Wilson, placed an additional
force Of $4,000 National Guardsmen
at the disposal Of the government for
an indefinite period. This was ac-
complished when the mustcrout of All
the National Guard organizations that
remained in the Federal service from
the Mexican border mobilization was
ordered suspended.
A careful checking up of tho
strength of the National Guard COM
mands now mustered into the Federal
service under President Wilson's or
ders of yesterday and Sunday places
the number of men brought back into
the service Of the National Govern.
ment at $4,000, which, with the total
of $4,000 whose musterout orders
were suspended today, bringsAhe total
number up to $4,000 men.
There are about 10000 men in the
National Guard Of the country. Thus
nearly a third of the total strength is
in the Federal service. Only eleven
states are without militia commands
in the Federal service tonight. They
are Florida, Kansas, Maine, Louisiana,
Nevada, New Hampshire, North H.
kota, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South
Carolina and Utah.
The action taken yesterday will en-
able the army to strengthen it's posi-
ton along the Mexican border and to
guard against any possible contin-
gency from that quarter. A consider
able number of the men held in Fed
era1 service by yesterdays suspension
Of orders are in border states or close
to the border, the balance being en-
route to their home states on trains,
or in armories at home. There were
II regiments of infantry in the troops
affected by yesterdays orders, as well
as cavalry, artillery engineers, signal,
and field hospital forces.
Germans Active In Mexico.
Confidential advices reached Wash
ington yesterday that German sub
jects had been assembling in suspic-
iously large numbers at Torreon
Mexico, and that many of them prob
ably were German reservists. For the
Carranza government to permit Mexi-
can soil to be utilized as a base for
military operations against the United
States would violate neutrality and
raise a most serious issue between the
two governments. Mexican govern
men officials have ridiculed the sug-
gestion of an alliance with Germany
against the United States in the event
Of war but information reaching
Washington has indicated that Ger
mans are now being held in high ia
vor and welcomed in Mexico. Whether
the decision to hold UP the muster out
of National Guard commands had
any origin in the activities of Ger
mans now rushing into Mexico from
this country, Cuba, and South Amer
lea, in large numbers, it was impossi
BILE to ascertain last night.
Three of the states covered by this
order are Arizona, New Mexico and
Tex>s. Nearly five regiments Of in
fantry, a squadron Of cavalry, and a
battery of artillery from these states
will beu sed along the border, in ad-
dition to certain other troops whose
identity is not disclosed. The only
information obtainable from the War
Department regarding these regi-
ments is that they are to be utilized
for general purposes Of police pro-
lection against possible Interference
with military channels and instrument
talities. The mobilization points Of
the various militia units arew it'll
held by the War Department, the
higher officials of which have asked
that such details be witeld.