Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-06-01

| try July 5, 1899. and was mustered out
| June Is, 1901. MY service in this rsgi-
ment was in the Philippines during the
Philippine instruction.
Regular Army:
was commissioned a flrst lieutenant
in the United States Artillery Corps.
Aug 1. 1901, and commissioned a cap
tain of the same. Feb. 10, 1906. had
| honorable service in the United States
army, and resigned my commission,
Dec. 4, 1908, to attend to my personal
| affairs.
am an honor graduate OF the Artil-
| lery School at Fort Monroe, class of
1906
! In 1s03-1So4 was commissary and quar-
termaster of Fort Totten. n. Y.
| In lsO6-1S07 was fire commander Of the
rapid fire guns at the Preside. San Fran.
| cisco. Cal. l served in San Francisco
during the entire period Of the fire.
| In 1So7-1sOS 1 was commanding officers
Of Fort Hunt, Virginia.
| / hold a certificate Of eligibility az a
colonel OF volunteer infantry. which was
granted me by the war department March
%, 1916.
| General E. NJ. Weaver, chief Of the
Coast Artillery, United States army. in
an official communication to the adjutant
general. under date of May S. 1914. COM
ments as follows on my record as an Of
fcer in the Coast Artillery Corps:
Captain Balentine was an officer Of the
Coast Artillery Corps from August !. 1901,
to December 4, 1908, when he resigned.
His service in the Coast Artillery Corps
He Ia honor
graduate Of the Coast Artillery School,
class OF 1906 The reports Of his COM
mandng officers are exceptionally favor
able, both as to his natural qualifications
and those whias have been acquired since
his entrance into the service. His pro-
fessional zeal, general bearing and mill
tary appearance are uniformly reported
excellent
II feel justified. from a rather careful
, examination of his record, and knowing
the omcers who made out his reports. IN
recommending him as a man OF excep-
tional qualifications for good service as a
commissioned officer. The President
would, in my opinion. make no mistake
in giving him a commission In the line
of the volunteer service with mis- age
which is forty-two years.
He speaks Spanish and had two years
and nine months service in the Philip
pines
Adiutant General George MOI. Pres
son said that while he realized the
| great difficulties attending the propo-
sition he would like to see regiment
of field artillery raised, if it could be
done, but he doubted it's practicability
at this time. He pointed out that the
states were not called upon by the red
| eral government to raise these new
units and that in an emergency federal
troops as such could be more readily
organized. He did not think that the
plan for the utilization of the present
armories suggested by Capt. Balentine
was practicable, as they were in most
cases too small and in the case of the
Machine Gun Company armory at
Bangor privately owned.
+ A lively discussion between Captain
Balentine and General Presson as to
the suitability of the National Guard
armories for the use of the proposed
| batteries and other features of the plan
followed The cost of the examination
. Oh OlllC0lS anu lllt
officers schools were cited by the Ad-
! iutant General as matters aside from
the expenses mentioned by Captain
Balentine which he had said that he
would bear.
General Presson said that an engi-
! neer corps could be raised much easier
I than field artillery. Captain Balentine
said that the federal government had
not called for a field engineer corps but
it had called for a heavy artillery unit.
| Governor Milliken asked if the engi-
neering corps plan would interfere
with the field artillery. He said that
the engineer corps was planned to be
made up of q combination of woods
men and engineers. the latter to be
! young men from the colleges.
Councillor Norton said that he did
not think there was any conflict be-
tween the two and the Governor re-
piled that he was of the same opinion.
General Presson said that whatever
was done lie was of the opinion that
nothing should be undertaken until the
| infantry had been brought up to full
strength.
Councillor St. Clair, who is a Civil
/ War veteran, said that there were sew
en- batteries of artillery in the army
of the Potomac and they were a very
effective branch of the service. This
branch of the service appealed to the
young men of Maine then and he
thought that it would now.
Governor Milliken said that the first
! thing necessary was to get Washing
on to place its o. X. on the plans for
the armories; and the other was that
nothing should be done to injure the
recruiting for the I'd Regiment infan-
, try.
| Councillor st. Clair expressed the
opinion that Maine should be proud of
a man who had volunteered to raise
such a regiment Of field artillery as
proposed, and the Governor said that
some formal recognition should >be
made Of this offer. The matter was
then left to be considered in executive
session.
Dr. W. H. Harris Of Augusta appear
ed before the Council for Lewis A.
Burleigh the head of the Augusta
chapter of the Red Cross, in behalf of
the organization of a hospital unit con-
sisting of y doctors. 81 nurses and 30
70 40 orderlies. with an equipment cost