Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-03-28
PLANS FOR SERVICE
ARE WELL ADVANCED
Placing the National Guard in
Readiness for Call to
the CoIors.
BATTALION AWAITS ACTION

Developments in the work OF placing
the National Guard forces of the Dis
trict in readiness to respond to a call
into active service and to guard gov
ernment buildings, railroad properties
and the city water works today were
these:
The 1st Separate Battalion, still
quartered in armories awaiting orders
assigning it to duty, made reauisition
for draft and riding animals and GER
tain equipment to which it is entitled
SO as to be prepared to respond without
delay.
Staff officers and unit commanders of
the District National Guard met in the
l. street armory last night on the call
OF Brig. Gen. William E. Harvey, COM
manding, and discussed plans for an en-
listment campaign to bring the several
organizations UP to war strength.
Preparations to Guard Armories.
A plan was decided upon to have a
guard placed at the armories of the
District National Guard at all hours of
day and night to protect its properties
from any damage that might be fnfiict-
ed. The services of such guards will
not be needed until the 1st Separate
Battalion. now quartered in these
armories, are given duties elsewhere
and the buildings would otherwise be
unprotected.
In addition to the general enlistment
campaign to be made in behalf of the
District National Guard. unit COM
manders are concentrating attention on
their particular organizations with q
n vc
Brig. Gen. Harvey announced that
men wishing to become members of the
District National Guard only in event
OF war Is declared and the organization
is called into active service may now
register their names, submit to the re-
qufred physical examination, be meas
ured for uniforms and otherwise pre-
pare themselves to become guardsmen.
Bringing Rosters Up to Date.
Plans were made to bring the rapid
assembly rosters of the District Ma
tional Guard up to date SO that in
event of q call no fine will be lost in
notifying the men. All unit COM
manders have been instructed to get
their lists of addresses and telephone
call numbers corrected to date.
1t was definitely announced today
that 1T will not be necessary for the
men OF the lst Separate Battalion to
take another oath before. serving aa
the confusion which the mastering into
federal service upon the occasion of
their call for border service last sum-
mer involved. The officers of the bat
talon were definitely Informed that
under the terms of the national defense
act the organization automatically came
into federal service when it's services
were called for by the President.
A check of the properties of the
battalion probably will have to be
taken, it was stated, but information
had not yet been received as to wheth-
er or not the men would have to SUBJ
init to b physical examination. Even
if this is done it is believed that none
of the men will fail to pass the test,
for all Of them are in the best of phys
ical condition as the result of the
training received last summer
Recruits Not Yet Admitted.
Although more than fifty men have
made application to become members
have been made. The battalion may
be permitted to have only 100 men to
the company, and this is the approx
mate strength of the unit today.
A number of members of the battalion
to return as soon as possible TO take their
places in the ranks. This morning Corp,
Sylvester Diggs and Private Albert Wash
ington of c Company arrived from New
York, where they have been employed
and reported for duty.
If the battalion serves with a limitation
of 100 men to the company arrangements
probably viii be made to enlist the appli-
cants as members of the National Guard
but not in the federal service They would
then receive the prescribed course of
training.
Arrangements are being made to have
the men of the battalion fed al restaurants
near the armories where they are sta
toned.
At present they are allowed IS cents
a day for food. Maj. James E. Walker
commanding the battalion. pointed out
that if an entire company makes ar
rangements to get its meals at a restau-
rant, better food can be obtained for
IS cents day than is the case where
the meals are purchased separately.
Protection of Property Paramount.
Although plans for recruiting cam
paign were foremost, the matter of
guarding the armories claimed much of
the attention of the staff officers and
unit commanders of the District Ma
tional Guard at the meeting last night.
1t was stated that the armories contain
thousands of dollars worth of valuable
equipment and that they should be ade-
quately protected against harm
Details are now being worked out to
assign members of the units utilizing
the armories on active duty to serve
as guards. They will be paid according
to their rank. the money to come from
the guard funds
That many men have signified their
desire to be members of the District
National Guard in event war is de-
clared. but the men do not want to en-
list unless there is war. was stated by
several unit commanders. These men
cannot be persuaded to enlist at this
time. they said. After consultation it
was agreed that they should be per-
mitted to register and that they should
take the physical examinations and
otherwise prepare themselves to ~ en-
listed in event war is declares This
plan will do away with much of the
work which otherwise
would fall upon the shoulders of those
engaged in caring for the enlistments
in event there is declaration
Suggestion by Gen. Harvey.
Gen. Harvey pointed out that the unit
should impress upon such
applicants that if they wait for war
they will be losing valuable training
which they otherwise would receive If
they enlisted now. Gen. Harvey is
anxious to bring the District National
Guard units up to their war-streneth
footing. This means $50 men for each
infantry company. and more men are
needed in this branch of the service
han any other
It was stated that company command.