The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-03-28
PARADE PLANNED
FOR STIMUL. LATINO
ENLISTMENT Here
Military Committee Active
In Patriotic Work AS
signed to It.

ness and enlistment committee Of
sixty now seeking to gain recruits for
| local National Guard and Naval
Militia companies, that this city may
be foremost in responding to the
the full needs of the state were set
| will greatly broaden it's scope.
Following conferences in Hartford
yesterday with Adjutant General
! George M. Cole and Lucien M. Burpee,
head Of the Home Guard, by whom
the full needs of the state were set
forth to Secretary Edward Mora of
the committee, and Lieut.. Louis j.
O'Neil, of the Eleventh company,
G. A. c., N. G., it has been decided
to take radical steps for the general
recruiting of both these military di-
| visions as well as for the United
States service.
With the expectancy that Judge AL
fred B. Beers, head of the committee
will today appoint sub -comittees of Is
to aid in the financial, publicity, patri-
otto and technical stimulus of the
movement, 1t has been tentatively de-
cided that a military parade will be
held here Sunday, when number of
noted speakers will address the crowds
of men and women invited to be pres
emit.
| If the day is pleasant, following a
parade of the Second, Fourth and
Eleventh Companies, Coast Artillery,
and the Third Division Connecticut
| Naval Volunteers, headed by the Coast
Artillery band, permission for which
| was yesterday granted by Adjutant
| General Cole, the addresses will be
made in Seaside park. If the wealth
! er is inclement the gathering will be
in the local arnory where space will
be at premium.
The next step expected to be sane
toned today by Governor Holcomb
| and Mayor Clifford B. Wilson, will be
to ascertain hastily from duplicate
files of the state military census what
eligibles Bridgeport has for enlist
|! ment ink the National and Home
Guards. and to solicit the enlistment
Of every available man in any of the
various defensive organizations.
It was stated yesterday by those in
charge that between two and three
months would be required for full tab
ulation of the state military census.
To overcome this necessary delay in
tabulation, the duplicate records kept
by Asst. Supt. Charles H. Suckley Of
the department will be put at the dis
posal Of the citizens committee for
| examination.
It is believed that fully 10000 men
in Bridgeport of the $4,000 known to
have been recorded may fill some
place in the defensive units, so quickly
needed for national, state and local
protection in the event of war.
All manufacturers, merchants and
others in the city of Bridgeport will
be asked to contribute financially
towards the stimulation of patriotism,
| these moneys being utilized for the
I purpose of tabulating the military
census of Bridgeport the Introduction
Of patriotic, military aid naval ex.
perts as speakers at various meetings
and for the payment of National
Guardsmen who under the present
plan will be detailed for recruiting
purposes in the prominent centers of
Bridgeport.
A plan to have militiamen with
tents and recruiting paraphernalia in
prominent places has disclosed the
fact that nearly every guardsman is
working steadily and would lose va1u.
able monetary emoluments if asked to
stand four hours guard day on the
streets.
Another subcommittee will visit all
the larger manufacturers and store
keepers of the city to ascertain the
view of industrial heads upon the pro-
ject of keeping their employees who
get actual duty in the various guards
upon full pay while absent, or at least
i for period as long as they have been
employed in the factories or shops
q
defending the country or state.
Preliminary inquiry discloses that
the larger factories already have post
ed notices on their bulletin boards ad-
vocating enlistment in the military or
CARNATIONS. 1t is not feared that the
patriotism Of Industrial plants in this
city will fall below the standard al
ready set in New York and Massachu-
sets states.
With official disapproval directed
I against the formation of individual
4 companies or regiments of men, both
by the adjutant general of the state
troops and heads of the Home Guard
at Hartford, the democracy Of the
Bridgeport Rife club, recently formed
in this city, is defended by Frank S.
Hunt, official. spokesman for the or
ganization in these words: ''The idea
of The Bridgeport Rifle club is to
quickly form and train a company of
men not as a club or social organiza-
ton, but for use where it may be most
needed as the future dictates.
"This is now being done and many
believe can be done quicker by pri.
vate enterprise than by the slower
moving public spirit. I think it is
shown to be fact when we say that
$50 men are now enlisted in the COM
pany, are completely uniformed, and
are being trained while the Home
Guard is only forming.
cit is purely democratic in status.
men from every walk of life being TAX
en- into the ranks, and as far as
possible along the requirements laid
down by the United States army.
| whether it will be incorporated
later with the National or Home
Guards is a matter for the entire COM
pany to consider, At the present
| time adequate defense is required and
we are merely facilitating matters By
, quick and efficient technical prepare.
ton"
A complete list Of the Bridgeport
military preparedness and en1istmens
committee members 1oi1ows:
A. S. Ambrose, Maj. Frank Arm
strong, Chas Andres, Frank D. Bell
l ID Dot4 u