The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1917-03-27
PRESIDENT WILL PLACE
NATION On NAh FOOIINU

~
NATION ON nAh FOOTING
Southeastern Created With Head
quarters in Charleston and NAL
Gen. Leonard wood in Command
Task of Protecting American HI
Sustries Assumed as National Duty.
Washington, March 25.-Division
OF the United States into six instead
of the existing four military depart
ments was announced today by the
war department. The two new de-
partments are the Southeastern, com
prising the States in the old South
and the Northeastern, comprising the
New England States. Maj. Gen. Leon
ard Wood is transferred from COM
mand of the Department of the East
to the Southeastern department.
with headquarters at Charleston, S.
G..
Washington, March 25.-Presdent
Wilson took steps today to place the
/ nation on a war footing.
by executive order he directed that
F5The navy be recruited without delay
10 the full authorized war strength
of $1,000 enlisted men. Taken IN
connection with emergency naval
construction already ordered this
means that the president has exer-
cised the full limit of his legal pow
ers as commander in chief to prepare
the navy for war
For the army, the president direct
ed that two new military departments
be created IN the Atlantic coast re-
gion. The order means that the task
of organizing whatever army con-
sress may authorize will be among
six departmental commanders instead
of four in the interest of speed ana
efficiency in mobilization. The third
step was to assume as a national duty
the task of protecting American in
iustries from domestic disorders IN
the event Of hostilities. For this pur-
pose II, full infantry regiments, two
separate battalions and one separate
company of the National Guard were
called back into the federal service
to act as national police in important
districts. Supplementing these troops
a regiment of Pennsylvania guard and
1.-TWO companies of Georgia infsntry
ten route home from the border for
mastering out were ordered retain
ed in the federal service.
No Comment Made.
The presidents orders were made
known in terse Official statements IS
sued by both departments. No expla-
nation accompanied them except the
statement that reorganization OF the
military departments effective May /
was designed to facilitate decentrah-
zation of command.
Following is the executive order
bringing the navy up to war strength.
SPY virtue of the authority vested
in the president by the act OF con-
gress August %, 1915, entitled An
act making appropriations for the
naval service for the fiscal year end
ing June 80, 1917, and for other pur-
poses it is hereby directed that the
authorized enlisted strength of the
navy be increased to $1,000.
fSigned) 'fW'oodrow WILSON,
The navy must enroll Immediately
approximately 10000 men to reach
1.-The required strength. Secretary Dan
iels supplemented it tonight with per-
sonal telegrams to newspaper editors
all over the country urging them to
aid the department in every way IN
their power to obtain the men.
The war department statement fol-
lows:
"To facilitate decentralization OF
command the United States is d.
vided into six military departments
in place Of four now existing. The
new organization becomes effective
MAY l, 1917, and comprise the fol-
lowing:
aA-Northeastern department. to
embrace the States Of Maine. New
Hampshire, Vermont. Massachusetts.
Rhode Island and Connecticut. Head
quarters at Soston.
-B-Eastern department. to en-
brace the States of New York. New
Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware.
MARYLAND and Virginia, West Virginia,
District of Columbia and the canal
zone and the Island of Puerto Rico
With the islands and keys adjacent
thereto. Headquarters at Governors
island.
Moved to Charleston.
In C-Southeastern department, to
Embrace the States Of Tennessee,
North Carolina, South Carolina,
Georgia, Florida, Alabama and MIS-
sisippi, with coast defenses Of New
orleans and the coast defenses OF
Galveston Headquarters at Charles
ton. S. c.
.DLCentral department, to en-
brace the States of Kentucky, Ohio,
Michigan. Indiana, Illinois, South
Dakota, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas. Ne
bra.ska. Wyoming and Colrado.
Headquarters at Chicago.
"E-Southern department, to en-
brace the States of Louisiana Except
the coast defenses at New Orleans},
Texas Except the coast defenses at
Ar1y Nly1ohnnoo