The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-04-17
Fifteen Hundred Men Need
ed to Bring Regiment to
War Strength
co. | COMPLIMENTED
BY MAJOR ASHLEY
Says It Is Best Drilled Company in His
Battalion - State Defense Commit
tee May Find Way to Transport Re
cruits - Taking Finger Prints.
Especial to The Reformer.) J

Especial to The Reformer.)
FORT ETHAN ALLEN, April l..
1t is expected that the state defense
committee will find some way to de
fray the expenses Of such recruits as
may wish to enlist from the place of
enlistment to Fort Ethan Allen. \
thorough looking over by local physi-
clans who know the regular army re
quiremcnts would serve to weed out
those who are apparently unfit and re
suit in the forwarding of only those
who would stand good show of being
enlisted
Considerable indignation is expressed
b. the men who have received news
from home that some of the discharged
men have circulated misleading state
ments as to hardships undergone here.
The fact is there has been no we'll
founded complaint of any kind except
for dav when the heater of one Of
the barracks was undergoing repairs.
The heating plant was then under the
charge of one of the men since dis
charged. Company A and Company D
are expected to go under canvas at
| once. These companicl must vacate
! the barracks occupied by them in or
| der to make way for recruits who are
| expected to arrive. This post has been
made the recruit headquarters for all
| of New England and a large number
will soon be coming in.
Arthur Cain, a former member, and
RAYMOND Collins, another former mem
! ber, are expected today to again join
| Company l. Elwyn Richardson also is
expected in few days.
i Corporal Whidden has elected to be
furloughcd to the reserve. So far as
known he is the only one in the regi-
ment to make such election. He has
been corporal of the first squad the
past two years. 1t viii be necessary
to create practically new set of non
commissioned officers. In spite of the
losses Major Ashley has said that Com
pany l is the best drilled company in
his battalion. 1t got the high mark
on sanitary inspection.
The matter of dealing with depend
ents is proving the most perplexing to
company commanders of any they have
had to meet so far. If the order of
the department is strictly construed,
T every man who has dependent wife +,
child or mother goes cut, whether he
wishes a discharge or not. 1t had been
: hoped that inasmuch as the state OF
I Vermont is to provide assistance there
would be an exception made as to men
of this regiment, 1t is feared that the
G board, consisting of the governor, the
: auditor of accounts and the adjutant
5 general, to whom is left the question
5 of determining for the state the amount
II that will be given to dependent rela
i tives, may decide to limit assistance to
r families of non-commissioned officers
c alone The situation is very trouble
some to officers. because it opens the
II door to every man who wants to get
J. out of the service to do so. The Of
= ficerS sometimes wonder il American
( patriotism is q thing of the past. This
+ much is sure, if the order is enforced
it will prove a blow to the National
Guard so far as maintaining full com
panies is concerned.
Capt Gibson has been suffering from
Il sprain sustained before he left home
and it has been with some difficult,
, that he has been able TO move about
during the past few days. 1t is ex
pccted he will be alright soon. Buglei
e Miner has been released from the pos
hospital. Private Fred Banker was il
the hospital a short time with sligh
attack of tonsilitis.
Private Edward NJ Baker was per
II mitted to go home over Sunday be
n cause of very i'll sister.
i Fifteen hundred men will be needed
r to bring the regiment up TO wa
1t strength, according to statement mad
10 by Col. w. c. Rivers, the mastering OF
fieer. at the conclusion of the presen
rs wedding out process. Out of the ofigi
+ nal enlistments 204 men and two officer
a. were rejected and SO men and 50 of
10 ficers, in addition to Col. Fred b. Thorn
nj as and staff, have been accepted
The picking out of the men who hav
dependents, wives, mothers and chi
dren, which will begin soon, will sti
further lower the strength of the reg
ment by from $50 to 200. The reg
TX ment on a war footing numbers 300
men and 56 officers
The number of commissioned OF
- ficers who have dependents is known I
a. be As and the withdrawal of thei
n. would cripple the force. The propo
rs tion of the men who have dependent
in is probably much less but if figured {
~ 10 per cent the loss would be 70-od
-. men.
he The losses of so many non-commi