Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1917-01-03
AS TO THE NATIONAL GUARD.
AbIe-Bodied Citizens Between 18 and
10 Years Must Serve.

washington, Dec. 29.-Every able
Dodied male citizen Of the United
States between the ages Of IS and A.
years Is held liable for service in the
national guard in war time. without
1uEther act Of Congress, by War De-
partlnent regulations for the govern
inert of the 6 ard issued under the
hatioAai defense act. In a circular
prepared nearly two months ago, but
made public only to-day, the militia
hureau directs that where a national
guard regiment Is called out for war
service, reserve training battalion
10 MI vacancies at the front shall be
organized out OF the national guard
reserve and by voluntary enlistment.
May Draft Others.
If for any reason" the order con-
tindes, there shall not be enough re-
serVists or enough voluntary enlist
ments to organize or to keen the re-
serve battalions at prescribed
strength, a sufficient number of the
unorsanized militia shall be drafted
by the President to maintain such
battalion or other lesser reserve
unit at the prescribed strength"
The language follows closely that
OF the national defense act, in which
the OnorganiZed militia is defined as
inc]nding every able. bodied male citi-
zen within the prescribed age limit
or those who have declared their in
tention Of becoming citizens.
The national guard regulations,
which will be ampliied in great de-
tail later, also strike at the problem
OF dependent families Of soldiers
which has cost the government seve-
raj millions Of dollars already
through the border mobilization. Re-
cruitinS officers OF the national
guard are directed to discourage the
ell listment OF married men or those
with others dependent upon them.
Such persons are to be accepted only
for reasons in the public interest,
men W no wish to become officers be-
ing the only class specifically en-
cepted.
Must Take Oath.
IL is provided in the regulations
that no officer Of the guard hereafter
shall be recognized as such under
the defense act unless he shall have
subscribed to an oath binding him to
obey the orders OF the President and
OF the Governor OF his State. Ap-
pointments will be made on recon-"
mendation to the Secretary Of War
from Governors or the commanding
officers OF State or Territorial units
OF the guard, and after proper physi-
cal and mental examination by boards
of officers. Promotions will be han
died in the same way and any officer
who fails in the examination as to
his professional ability cannot come
up for re-cXamination within a year.
After three years active service or
when the organizations are disband-
ed, national guard officers may pass
into the national guard reserve.
The reserve is to remain an unor-
2anized body in peace times except
for temporary purposes. 1t will be
composed Of men who have served
three years in active organizations
and whose enlistment contracts will
require them to serve three more iii
the reserve unless they prefer active
service.
They will hold the same rank in
the reserve that they held at the time
Of furlough from active service, ex-
cept that when drafted into the Fed
eral service they will report in the
grade of private.