New Britain herald., 1917-05-08
BRITAIN CONNECTICUT. TUESDAY, TWELVE PAGES
RECRUIT ENGINEERS
 TO SEND TO FRANCE
Between t1,oOo and 12,OOo to
 Build Up Railway System
TO WORK BEHIND TRENCHES

TO WORK BEHIND TRENCHES Volunteers win Be Gwen Little Mil-
 itary Drln But Are Expected to
 Convince Allies and Germans Amer
 lea is In the War.
 Washington, May s.-Ragular army engineer officers assigned to organix- ing and command the nine regiments of engineer troops, to be rushed to France for work on railway communi- cation lines were announced by the var department today as follows:
 First regiment. New York district, commanding, Lieut.. Col. c. H. Mo- Ktnstry; adjutant, Lieut.. x. H. Price: Second regiment. St Louis, Col. Cur tts McD. Howneend; adjutant, Captain C.. l.. Hall; Third regiment, Chicago. Col. w. c. Langfltt: adjutant, Captain R. D. Black: Fourth regiment, Bok- ton. Major w. P. Wooten, adjutant: Lieut. L.. E. Atkins: Fifth regiment, Pittsburgh. Lieut.. Col. Edgar Jadwin: adjutant, Lieut.. B. B. Somervill; Sixth regiment, Detroit, Lieut. Col. Harry Burgess: adjutant, Captain R. F. Tow. Ter: Seventh regiment. Atlanta, Major John S. Sewell: engineer reserve corps, a former major in the regular serv- ice; adjutant, Lieut.. e. F. Bullard: Eighth regiment, San Francisco, Lieut.. Col. J. B. Cavanaugh: adjutant. Lieut.. J. B. Cress; Ninth regiment, Philadelphia. Lieut.. Col H. Dakyne: adjutant. Lieut.. W. F. Tompkins. The entire. reserve list for the flrst reserve engineer regiment created under the national defense act in the New York distrct and including among 1t regimental ofiicers many prominent engineers of civil life. has been called out. and presumably that regiment will be the first organized. The war department is, acting under the authority of the defense act in the organization of these new units. No. decision as to the designation to be g.iven the new regiment has been reached. They will be the first American troop units to serve on French soil, and. though their work will be behind the trenches and they will be given only slight military drill. American officials arc counting on their impressing the French and Brit ish and even German soldiers with the fact that the United States Is truly in the Wax. '.
 Vofuntesrs will be received by the regular army and NationalS Guard re- cruiting agencies in New York, Ch1- cago, St. Louis, Boston, Pittsburgh. Detroit, Atlanta. San Francisco and Philadelphia. Labor unions and ratl- way officials are expected to cooper ate in gathering the desired force and care will be taken not to take so many men from any single line as to disrupt its working organization.
 New York, May. S.-Recruiting for a voluntary, regiment of engineer troops to be known as the first reserve engineer regiment, began here today under the direction of the military engineering committee of New York. The call for volunteers for the resi- ment was issued last night immedf- ately following receipt of the order from the war department authirizing the committee to proceed with it's or ganization.
 According to the statement Issued by the committee, the regiment will be commanded by lieutenant Colonel c. H. McKinstry, corps of engineers, U. s. A. The regiment will consist of 1.061 men and 37 officers .and will be armed and equipped as Q military unit. It will be recruited from the construction and railroad forces In the metropolitan district.
 The only complete regiment of en-. gineers in the National Guard is the Twenty Second regiment of New York. It was said today that the Twenty Second is ready to go. It Is already recruited up to more than S6s per cent. of full war strength and It's equipment Is serviceable enough to permit of Its taking the field on a moments notice. It is asserted that within . few days the lacking IS per cent can De obtained.
 The onicial announcement of the plan was given out through Major Douglas MacArthur. the army censor, as follows:
 '"The war department has sent out orders for the raising as rapidly as possible of nine additional regiments of engineers, who are destined to pro- ceed to France at the earliest possible moment for railroad work on the lines of communications.
 ''It is requested of the press that no speculations or rumors regarding this force be carried by them, other than those given out by the war depart ment. All details with regard to the force will be released by the depart ment as fast as comparable with the public interest.
 "The recruiting points of, these regiments will be New York city, St. Louis Chicago. Boston, Pttsburg. De- troit, Atlanta. San Francisco, and Philadelphia.
 ..Two officers from the regular corps (Continued on Sixth Page.)