The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1917-06-29
half MILLION
IN 3 MONTHS
FIGHTING FORCES OF U. 4. NOW
NUMBER 100000 TO
100000.
TWO BRANCHES DOUBLE
National Guard and Marines Near
Required Number, Regulars
Still Short.

Washington, June 24.-More thar
half million men have volunteered
in the American army and navy dur
ing the period of less than three
months that has elapsed since wal
was declared to exist.
The Army, Navy and Nationa
Guard represented an aggregate
strength of little more than 100000
men wheIt the war resolution was
adopted. To-day between 100000 and
100000 are enrolled in the various
branches of the fighting service and
the great majority of them are armed
equipped and under training. They
will be Joined at the end of the sum
mer by nearly a million men, select.
ed for the new national army from
the millions registered for war duty
June 5.
The regular army totaled a little
more than 100000 men three months
ago, it is nearing the 100000 mari;
today and War Department officials,
backed by the press of the country,
are bending every effort to bring ii
up to 100000 during the present
week.
The National Guard, 10000
strong when war came, numbers
nearly 100000 today, according to
the best estimate available. OF that
number nearly $4,000 actually are
under arms, guarding against Ger
man plotters and doing the job in a
thorough and soldierly way as shown
by the trivial damage the plotters
have been able to inhict.
Marine Corps Growth.
The marine corps, whose slogan Of
First to fight" has been respected
by the Government in attaching a
seasoned regiment of sea soldiers to
Maj. Gen. Pershing's expeditionary
force to France, has been raised from
1900 to nearly 10000 men.
The regular bluejacket force of the
navy, the men behind the big guns
and who already are trying their
metal against the enemy in the
waters off the Irish coast under Vice
Admiral Sims, or upon armed Ameri-
can freighters, has been raised from
10000 to 10000. The boys of the
country have thronged to the navy in
such numbers that recruiting stations
could not be built fast enough to ac-
commodate them.
An entirely new force of railway
engineers for duty in France to han
die railway problems behind the
eghting lines, also has been created.
Recruiting figures are not available
but it is known that some of the
regiments are now at full strength
and ready to go. Probably 10000
men have already joined these regi-
ments.
Forty thousand picked men are
under strenuous training at the OIL
GERS training camps, insuring good
Junior officers for the national army.
Other thousands are doing their share
at the medical corps and engineer
corps training camps, and still others
are with the naval coast defense re-
servee keeping the Atlantic coast free
from the submarine menace and in
surfing a clear road for the endless |
stream of cargo carriers which are
taking thousands of tons of American |
war supplies and food to the French,
British and Italians, who are
holding the lines against the enemy.
The immediate need, Administra-
ion officials believe, is to bring the
regular army up to its full strength
Without delay. These are the first
inc troops, the men who will be the
irst Americans to face the German
losts. They will be the bone and
inew of Gen. Pershing's army, and
here must be no delay in getting
hem ready to go.