Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-03-22

pany NJ and other bodies Immediately
began making plans to issue fitting
observance of the occasion in this city.
No time was lost in arranging tenta-
tive program of activities which will
be further elaborated and arranged as
demand warrants.
That . huge mass meeting of Salem
citizens to be held at the armory one
evening of the week was one of the
first suggestions made and this feature
will be carried out. Just what the pro-
gram for the evening shall be is mat
ter to be worked out by committee ap-
pointed for the purpose.
Efforts will be made to have Cover
nor Withycombe and other state Of
ficials present and officers connected
with the National Guard and the Unit
ed States army will probably be among
the speakers to reveal the real situation
that confronts the nation at this time.
The Girls Honor Guard, a chapter
of which was organized last night in
Salem with 40 charter members, proved
that the young women of the city are
keenly alive to the needs of the moment
and are willing to do their share. Dur
ing the coming week they will have a
prominent part in the various events,
The national colors will adorn prac-
tieally every business house and public
edifice in the city. Citizens are urged
to display flags at their residences as a
token of loyalty in this time OF nation
al peril.
Governor Withycombe, in his procla
nation, included an appeal to the young
men of the state and city to show the
patriotic sentiment that lives in theiI
hearts by coming to the support of the
guard He asked that those who are
not held down by reasons of the gravest
family responsibility join the guard
that Oregon may continue to do its
share, as it has invariably in times
past, to uphold the honor of America
The situation with regard to Com
pany M is well known to the governor
and to the city at large. Some other
cities of the state are in like condition
with the ranks of the guardsmeh woe
fully in need of recruits and it is with
the hope of completing these units that
the governor called on the young men tC
rally to the flag.
! There are 81 men enrolled in Com
pany M at present. There should be a
hundred. To insure the retention of the
company in this city at least 65 men
positively must be listed before the
next federal inspection. This is on a
peace basis. Should war be declared
as now seems highly probable, the ranks
would have to be recruited to war
strength before the Salem company will
be allowed to move.
The armory which Salem men boost
ed for years and finally secured at the
cost of considerable time and money
is to be closed unless recruits can be
obtained. Every enlisted man is entitle
to pay monthly as long as he turns out
with the company. But, with the com
pany below peace strength, that is with
an enrolment of less than IS men, no
body gets pay. A full company means
that $4,000 will be put into the pockets
of the guard in this city yearly to be
spent here.
There is no good reason why any
young man should not have a share in
this $4,000, the officers assert, besides
doing himself a power of good and dis
charging his obligation to his country
The close of next week should find 6
hundred men on the muster roll and Sa
lem people confidently expect that the
city's young men will prove Themselves
equally as patriotic as those who ans
wered the call in 1898 and those latel
ones who went to the border in 1916.