Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-05-11
N. G. P. MAY RECEIVE
CALL BY JUNE Is
Secretary Of War to Set
Date of Summoning All
States Troops
MILLION MAY BE NUMBER
Bv q star Correspondent

"hSHlNtiIoN. MAY II,
Inc exact date on which the National
Guard Of the various states not now in the
reoerai service will be called into the
Federal service will he announced by Secre-
tary OF War Baker within a day or two.
u was learned today that because of the
constant pressure on him to give some
dennite statement regarding the use Of the
guard in the new army Secretary Baker
ned determined to make known the exact
uay on which the guard will be called out.
Philadephia National Guard organiza-
ions awaiting the call are the Second Penn
sylvania Field Artillery. the "MEl.K' Bat
talion OF the sixth Pennsylvania Infantry,
with the remaining companies in the sub
uros and surrounding towns: the Phls-
delphia squadron Of the First PENNSYLVANIA
Cava'ry; Company X, Engineers. and AM
bulance company No. and Field Hos
pital No. ?, Of Tacony
MAY BE AS EARLY AS JUNE is
This date. II is believed. will be some time
between June Is and July Is. Every Ma
tionsl Guard unit which has been recog-
nized by the War Department will then he
called into service and concentrated in large
units. divisions whenever possible, and
brigades where this is not possible
The National Guard units which will
then be part Of the regular army, will he
put TO work at drill Immediately. Any
National Guard unit which is not up to full
war strength of $50 men to the compa ny
will be brought M to full strength by the
use of the selective draft. In other words
when the time comes TO draw the men who
Will form the new army Of 500, 900 men,
additional men may also he drawn to hll up
the National Guard
II by the time for the drawing OF the
100000 men the regular army is not also
up to its full strength Of 293, 900 II also
VIII be hlled up by the use of the seective
draft The 100000 men for the new army,
the extra men for the National Guard and
the men needed to fll up the regular army
will thus be drawn at the same time.
Under this rule it may be necessary to
draw not only the 100000 tEen but possi-
bly, as many as 500. 900 men, depending on
the manner In which the National Guard
and the regular army are recruited In the
coming weeks.
MAY NUMBER MILLIONS
BY the time the selectvely drafted army
is called into the service the United States
will have an army of probably million
men made up OF 52s. 900 conscripts, 293 900
regulars and indefinite number of ma
tional guardsmen. depending on the num-
ber Of units organized by each State
Under the law each state may recruit its
National Guard up to a maximum peace
limit Of 500 men to each congressional dis
trct To do this the state must organize
Government has no authority to order the
formation Of new units. but it can insist
that each unit to which II has given recogni-
ton must be up to full war strength BY
this plan the Government will be able to
fll up the National Guard through the use
Of the selectve draft.
The ultimate strength Of the National
Guard is not known for the reason that the
organza ton Of new units Ia purely up Ia
the States themselves, but 1t can be stated
| that whatever guard units are called into
the service will ultimately reach full war
strength.
The only reason that the National Guard
| cannot he called out sooner is that the
equipment for the men is not available The
date which Secretary Baker will shortly an
| nounce depends entirely on the expedition
with which equipment orders are put out
by the contractors.
However. II is safe to say that long be-
fore the 500 900 recruits are called out the
National Guard will be hard at work drill
ing and getting ready to train the men
when they are called