The Washington herald., 1917-06-27
l3,O0ORECRUITS
NOW ENROLLED
Work of Enlistment for Big
Army Under Headway
Throughout Country.

Thirteen thousand recruits for the
regular army have been enlisted since
the call for volunteers was issued by
Secretary of War Baker, according to
a statement made yesterday at the
War Department by Col. Read. who
has charge of the recruiting for this
branch Of the service.
Although Army Recruiting Week"
has been in progress for four days.
only three of these can be called
real working days. as a Sunday in
tervened. Evidence that real head
way is being made Is shown by the
fact that, although only 915 men were
enlisted for the regular army through
out the country on Saturday and Sun
day, the number of recruits was
swelled to l, ,45l on Monday. Col. Read
Is receiving daily telegraphic reports
of enlistments from stations in every
State. and the figures for yesterday
will be ready at 1 o'clock this after
noon.
The work Of recruiting men for
the army was greatly handicapped
up until May IS when Congress acted,
by the fact that no one knew Just
what the terms Of enlistment or pay
would be, or the strength authorized
for the various branches OF the ser
vice. For one and a half months
after the war was declared. recruit
ing officers were working largely in
the dark and hAd to proceed with
caution.
124,0O0 New Recruits Secured
Despite the fact. Col. Read points
out that 124,00O men have been Sc
cured as recruits for the army since
April !. The strength OF the regular
army is now 243,0O0 men, including
officers. Its strength Is slightly in
excess Of the National Guard, which
aggregated 232,514 officers and men on
June 10. The new national army of
"conscripts" will add another 500,-
900 officers and men when 1t Is mobil-
lied on September /. All remaining
units Of the National Guard not now
in the Federal service. will be drafted
into the army by August S.
Thus the United States army, which
includes the regulars, the National
Guard and the "conscripts." will ag-
gregate 975.514 officers and men, al
though not a single additional recruit
should be secured. This does not in
clude some 5000 marines who will
undoubtedly be used as infantrymen
in the war. nor does 1t include the
bluejackets OF the navy.
One thing is certain, and that Is
that more than 1,OOO, 900 men, for land
forces of the country will be under
arms by September /, and for the first
time since the civil war, Uncle Sam
will have a real army, one Of which
any nation might be proud.
Four CoIored Regiments.
Speaking OF the failure Of the Dis
trict of Columbia so far to furnish
its quota of the 10000 volunteers TO
the regular army. Col. Read points
out that besides the large number of
government clerks here, there is per-
haps one-third of the population COM
posed of colored citizens. Although
there Is provision for their enlistment
In considerable numbers in the Ma
tional Guard OF the District, there are
only four colored regiments in the
regular army, and these have long
been at war strength. Two of the
regiments are cavalry and the other
TWO infantry. The expansion of the
regular army authorized by Congress
did not call for a proportionate in
crease of cOlored organizations.
Despite this fact. Col. Read points
out that the Districts quota of &C.
recruits, of whom 372 remain to be
secured. can be obtained IL only two
men out of every thousand Of Wash
inGton's population answers the call
to the colors.