Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-06-25
More I ThanHaB Million
Men Haze Volunteered
for Country S Seruic e
Doing Their Part Nobly,
but Greater Effort Is
Needed in This ere
cruiting Week.

half million mcn have volunteered in
the American army and navy during
the period OF less than three months
that has elapsed since the war was &C.
clarcd 10 exist
The army. navy and National Guard
represented an aggregate strength OF
little more than 100000 men when the
war resolution was adopted To-day
! between 100000 and 100000 are en-
! rolled in the various branches of the
fiEhtinE service. and the great major
ity OF them are armed, cquipr.d and
under training They will be Joined
AT the end OF tho summer by nearly
"A million mon selected for the new
national army from the millions reg
istercd for war duty on June 5
The regular army totalcd a little
more than 100000 men three months
ago; il is nearing the 10000 mark to-
day. and War Department oHicials.
backed by the press OF the country, arc
bending every effort TO bring it UP to
100000 during the present week
NATIONAL Guard NOW
NUMBERS NEARLY 1000
when war came. numbers nearly 26o.-
600 to-day according to the best csti-
mates available. OF that number nearly
$1,000 actually are under arms guard
Ing against German plotters and doint.
the job in thorough and soldierly
way. as shown by the trivial damage
the plottcrS have been able TO infiict
The marine corps. whose slogan OF
n - E.rt.t
tho government in attaining a second
regiment OF sea soldiers 10 Major
General PershinE's cxpcditionary force
to France. has been raised from H.
600 to nearly 5000 men The regular
bluejacket force Of the navy. tho men
behind the big guns, and who already
are trying their metal against the cne-
my or the Irish coast under vice-A :
miral Sims. or upon armed freightcrs.
has been raised from less than On. 600
to 10000. The boys of the country
have thronged to the navy In such
numbers that recruiting stations could
not hc built fast enough to accommo-
date them.
An entirely new force Of railway en-
Eineers for duty in France TO handle
railway problems behind the fighting
u.
ing figures are not available. hut it
is known that somc Of the regiments
arc at full strength and ready TO go.
Probably 10000 men have joined these
regiments.
Forty thousand picked men arc un-
der strenuous training at the officers
training camps. insurinG good junior
officers for the national army. Other
hnt "a. IL
medical corps and engineer corps
training camps, and still others are
with tho naval coast defense reserve,
keeping the Atlantic coast free from
the submarine menace and insurinC A
clear road for the endless stream of
cargo-carricrs. which are taking thou
sands OF tons of American war sup
plies and food TO the French. Belriane.
British and Italians.
IMMEDIATE NEED FoR
REGULAR ARMY VOLUNTEERS
The immediate need. administration
omcials believe. is to bring the reEu-
lar army up 10 its full strength with
out delay. These are the hrst-line
troops. the men who will be the first
Americans 10 face the German posts
They will be the bone and sin Nv of
General Pershing's army
President Wilson has designated the
present week as recruiting week for
the regulars. Secretary Baker has
sought the aid Of all newspapers to the
end that 10000 men shall he enrolled
before June 80. No explanation of the
need for getting the men by that time
mas been given. but II has been as
sumed' that ii has to do with getting
forces to Europe.
Recruiting officers throughout the
country have been instructed to adj
wise with newspapers in their section
10 work out ways of stimulating in
terest. The government has found the
press eager in making the nation ready
for war. With the papers of each To-
cality taking up the campaign for re-
cruits AS local matter, the filling up
Of the ranks on schedule time is re-
garded as assured.
BriGadicr-Gcneral Mccain. adjutant-
general Of the army. pointed out again
to-day that under the seIective army
Dill. every man who volunteers in the
regular army from any State means
one man less that State will be re-
CURED to furnish in the national army.
a careful record Of the State distribu-
ton of recruits is being kept
General Mccain also directed attcn-
tion to the fact that after the second
series Of officers training camps has
closed the only road to promotion will,
be from the existing forces. Men in
the regular regiments will have cuual
II not better chances for securing COM
missions than men in the National
Guard or national army. They will he
Of longer experience. and will be the
first sent to France.
The War Department has no nrclimi-
nary figures as to the first day Of the