The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-08-28
STATE MAY FORM M0Rt'
NATIONAL GUARD UA|TS'
But This Additional Force VIII Not
BE Uniformed gor Equipped
by Government Now.
MEMBERS SUBJECT TO DRAFT
Joining National Guard VIII Not EN-
empt Persons OF Draft Age From
Service If Their Number IL Reached.

The state of Virginia viii be al
lowed to raise additional national
guard units to be drafted into fed
erai service whenever needed by the
government. according to an order
received yesterday by Colonel 10 Lane
Stern, acting adjutant general, from
General Mann, of the militia bureau,
Washington. Such companies, how
ever, as may be formed in the state
VIII not now be supplied with uni
forms nor other equipment and viii
remain in the state service until such
time as the government Will require
their services. Men within the draft
ages enlisting in the organizations VIII
not be exempt from the operation or
the draft in the event they are called.
The order indicates that Virginia
will he permitted to organize national
guard units within the quota allowed
tn state under the act OF June 3, l9l 6.
, In this law IL Is specified thai the
! state will be allowed TO enlist 500 men
/ for each congressional district. With
twelve from Nirginia-two senator's
/ and ten representatives-th state Will
/ thus be entitled to $500 men. OF
| this number, however there are al
/
guardsmen of Virginia in the federal
service. which leaves about 2,100 that
! can now be recruited into new or
| CARNATIONS.
Since the order states that the date
for drafting such new units after they
are formed is indefinite. and the men
within the draft ages enlistinr Will
be subject to call as though they were
not affiliated with any military or
ganization, there appears TO be little
advantage to he gained by the man
who wishes 10 volunteer and be with
his friends in a national guard unit.
Any new organizations gotten togeth-
er Will, however, be subject to draft
by the government as a whole. and
II any are formed Immediately, there
may be an opportunity OF getting
them recognized by the government
before another draft is made
The fact that the order specified
further that the new units would not
be supplied with equipment until at
ter the regular army, national guard
and national army are furnished.
would indicate that the posi-
hility Of the government drafting
any companies formed in the near
future as units is remote 1t is we'll
known that the government has four d
1t impossible to secure a sufficient
amount of uniforms and other equip
ment for the men already in service
and this is one of the reasons why
the drafted men will not be put in
, camp the early part of next month
| In any large numbers. AT any rate
| 1t would seem to indicate that any
I" new national guard unit formed In
the state at present would hardly be
called into federal service until some
Q time after the first Of the new wear
when many of the young men wrc
might enlist would be drawn In the
= second draft to be held about Janu-
AIRY !.
1 Men from eighteen to twentv-onf
years and from thirty-one to forty.
nve years of age, however, could vol.
unteer for new national guard units
, Thus the plan of the government
would work distinctly to his owr
= advantage by having men outside O.
the draft ages to enlist. thus increas
ing the fighting forces of the Coun
Y try through such drawing power a,
national guard units may have t.
secure recruits.
1t il not known just what compa
MES viii be formed under the new
9 orders. Several units have been au
& thorized by the government to n,
raised in the state This matter vii
- he taken up by Adjutant General w
, w. Sale with Governor Stuart on tn,
return Of the former to his office from
= his vacation.
such units as may he formed un
der the new order while remainint
in the service OF the state awaitin,
federal draft, would not he simila
" 10 the state volunteers. which are he
g ing formed for home defense. am
y emergency service within the houn
= daries Of the state only. but uo,,L
he national guardsmen TO be calle,
for any service desired by the ma
@ tional government