The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-07-24
lItS F0RMlhG Of
Agnf GUARDS At ONCE
Council OF Defense Writes ShcrifTs
And Mayors 10 Move to Eject
Such Organizations.
A NECESSARY SERVICE
Ench Community should Dc Adequate
~ Prepared to Protect Itself Against
All Forms of Lawlessncss and Dis
order.

Complying with the request Of Gov
eSnor Stuart. the Virginia council OF
defense yesterday sent 10 every sheriff
Ia the state. to the mayor Of every
town and city and to the public gem
orally through various channels, call
asking that steps be taken imme-
dtately to form home guard compa
ntes
1.-THE aim is to have such company
organized in every community in Vir-
Rtnia to be ready 70 perform defense
work when the soldiers are called
away, and also to serve as IAN ounse
of prevention
Governor Stuart has decided that
the organization Of the home defense
units shall be conducted through the
ONCE of the adiutant general
Membership IN company WY be
in fact badge Of honor" The SER
vice to be performed. the governor in
sists, Is. and should he so regarded.
as necessary and as valuable as that
OF any branch OF the military estab-
lishrent u is of the nature OF a
second line of defense auxiliary to
the regular forces and the police 1t
Is hoped that the home guard or
Ranizations will constitute restrain
ing influence on any people who may
lie inclined 10 lawlessness II must
be efficiently and adequately pre-
pared, however, for actual service in
the suppression OF lawiessness should
there be need
The state councils call to the peo-
ple of Virginia liz as follows
The congress OF the United States
has recently enacted the following
law:
BE ii enacted by the senate and
house of Representatives Of the United
States OF America in congress as
eembled, That the secretary of war
curing this existing emergency he. az
he Is hereby, authorized in his dis
erection, TO issue from time to time TO
the several states and territories and
District OF Columbia. for the equip
ment of such home guards having the
Character of state police or con-
sts hulary as may be organized by the
several states and territories and Dis
trict OF Colum bia. and such other
home guards as may be organized I'M
der the direction Of the governors OF
the several states and territories and
the commissioners of the District of
Columbia or other state troops or
militia. such rifles apd ammunition
therefor. cartridge belts hayersacks.
canteens. in limited amounts as avail
able supplies will permit"
Cancerous conditions resulting in
death or in the use of the surgeons
knife. may not infrequently be pre-
vented. The doctrine Of preventive
medicine-''An ounce Of prevention Is
worth pound of cure is as APP
plicable to the body polite in emer-
geDcy conditions as it is TO the hu-
man frame,
Early in the coming month--August
the national guard of Virginia will
cesiee TO exist a state organization;
all of its members will have been fed
eralized and concentrated in camps
In distant states. No agency will then
exist In the state. nor in the town or
the county, for emergency conditions.
conditions which may arise-whIch
perhaps will arise.
During the period OF the war and
the necessary absence of our state
soldiery, the governor of the COM
nsouwealth is especially solcitious
that law and order shall be main
tanned: that any person, or persons,
who may be disposed TO avail them
selves of the necessarily unsettled
conditions incident To a state Of war
10 enter into unlawful com 5inations.
may have advance notice that agen-
cies exist in the state for their sup
preston
Therefore by direction of his ex-
ccliency. the governor of the common
wealth, the council of defense OF tho
state makes this appeal to the think
ing people Of the various communi-
ties:
Organize at once IN your city, town
or county a HOME GUARD,
y Physical fitness for service should
be the only prerequisite for member
SHY "a such an organization The
mayors OF cities and towns and the
sher.ffs Of the various counties. as
peace officers Of the commonwealth.
+ will at once apply to the adtutant-
general OF Virginia for information
and Instructions as 10 procedure
BY direction of the council Of de-
fense OF Virginia
sga f. W NICHOLS.
W. H. II u NLEG. Chairman
Secretary