Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-04-15
HOME DEFENSE LEAGUE
RECEIVING RECRUITS
Aen Not Eligible for Active Service
Are Enrolling for Duty
s,sS Nearer Home.
NAY FOR is MUCH PLEASED
Will BE Modelled on
Successful League Already Form
ed in New York City by Police
n Commissioner Woods.

Recruits Cor the Home Defense
league are daily submitting their ap-
OBLIGATIONS for enrolment at The office
The Mayor expects shortly to hav" =,
Citizen body OF between lo0o and 1900
men who Will be expected TO perform
duty in the event OF emergency,
rs Application forms for those DESTROYS
spf being enrolled will he found in
The Times Dispatch to-day. They may
sbe clipped out. properly filled in and
mailed TO the Mayor.
e. The idea of tho Home Dcfons"
League Is not new. II has been in
successful operation in New York and
proved practical help as an adjunct
Ito the Police Department
~ The New York police force contains
III. 900 men who have been SO drilled
and trained as soldiers that they could
at once take their place with the reg
nlar army. They have machine guns.
siEnalers and wireless operators, with
the requisite instruments. so that in
ease of war they would form an i'm
valuable addition 10 the forces de-
Tending the city.
II was to release this force for such
services, or for any other great .m"r-
Rency like those created by the Balti
more fire or the san Francisco earth
quake, that Commissioner Woods and
the inspectors who form his STAFF Gre
Sated the league.
ALL SORTS AND CONDITIONS
or MEN JOIN IN DEFENSE
~ What is regarded as one of the best
qualities of the league is That i, is
a supremacy democratic body. Its
mem bers. are drawn literally from
every rank IF life. y great majority
sof the members are in il because of
sthc opportunity offered for service TO
sthe city, and because they feel
they could give good account of
themselves should they he called to
3render such service. Many have been
in the army or navy, militia or naval
Preserve. Among them are men who
have had experience on the plains or
AS woodSmen. railway men, baseball
sRnd football men, ana men who have
had active military service both here
and abroad. There are day laborcrs
and men of means. business and pro-
Sfessional men, actors and writer's. me-
ichantcs earning 81 day and men
Swhose income is big enough 10 support
both town and country homes, Some
of the members 20 To and from their
daily labor In trolley cars, others are
driven by hired chauffcurs
T. These men have subjected themselves
TO thorough course Of drilling, SO as
to become cohcrinE bodies in case OF
need for their use in mass and they
nave necH CarelnIlN instructed IN the
ordinary duties Of the police in case
of patrol duty. which they will ordi-
tnarily perform in pairs These duties
include everything from handling n
riot to seeing that the street lamps
arc burning properly and 10 looking
latter breaks and leaks in waite pipes
In New York, when the members of
TIE league are called out. they viii
report ~ their respective atatiou-
houses suitably clad. ana if time al
lcws they should provide themselves
VIII an emergency ration which can
be carried in their pockets They win
D. provided with a riShtstick, a
|9Nhist'e and a cloth b-aSsard. suitably
|inscr'h"d. TO he worn on the left arm
So Uniform is eXact"f, hut its use is
lserrournCed whore members can AFFORD
and desire II. As the purchase Of uni
forms would be heavy tax on the
poorer members Of IN" league, various
methods OF raising funds to buy them
such rs erterta inmcnts and smokers,
have been employed
The New York plan VIII hc cloyaiv
followed In Richmond