The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-07-14


necessary to make the entire National
Guard available fol duy in France was
taken today by President Wilson with
the issue of proclamation drafting
the State troops into the army Of the
United States on August 8.
To make certain the purpose Of the
national defense act Is carried out,
the proclamation also specially de-
clares the men drafted to be discharg-
ed from the old militia status on that
date. In that way the constitutional
restraint upon use of militia outside
the country Is avoided and the way
paved for sending the regiments to
the European front.
Prior to the application Of the
draft, regiments in the Northern and
Eastern sections Of the country are
called into the federal service as Nat
ional Guardsmen in two increments to
be modified on July Is and 25. Many
units already are federalized and pre-
sumably they will be mobilized with
the other troops from their States
The guard from the other States will
be modified on the day of the draft.
The arrangement was necessary to pro.
vide for movement of the regiments
South to their concentration camps
without congestion and to the same
end division of States into these in
crements are revised from the orig
inal schedule.
The operative date Of the draft was
delayed until August SO that all reg
iments can be taken into the army
simultaneously to avoid Inequalities
in the relative rank of officers.
Fourteen camp sites for the 16 tao
tical divisions into which the guard
will be organized for war purposes
have already been selected and the
militia bureau is preparing the rail-
way routing Of the troops to the
camps. Seven Of the sites selected
are in the Southeastern department,
five in the Southern and two in the
Western.
The presidents proclamation in
part follows:
whereas, the United States of
America and the imperial German
government are now at war, and
having in view the consequent danger
of aggression by q foreign enemy in
territory Of the United States and
the necessity for proper preparation
against possible interference with the
execution of the laws of the union by
agents Of the enemy, I. Woodrow
Wilson, president of the United
States, by virtue Of the authority
vested In me by the constitution and
laws Of the United States and through
the governors Of the respective States,
call into service of the United st. tes
as of and from the dates hereinafter
respectively indicated all members of
the National Guard and all enlisted
members of the National Guard re-
serve Of the following States. who are
not now In the service Of the United
States. except members of staff corps
and departments not included in the
personnel Of tactical organizations
anu except such officers Of the Nat
iOnal Guard as have been or may he
especially notified by my authority
that they will not be affected by this
CALL to wit:
On July Is. 1917. New York, Penn
sylvania. Ohio. West Virginia. Michi-
gan. Wisconsin, Minnesota. Iowa.
North Dakota. South Dakota and Me-
braska.
ION July 25. 1917, Maine, New
Hampshire. Vermont. Massa husetts,
Rhode Island, Connecticut. New Jer-
sey, Delaware. Maryland. District of
Columbia, Virginia, North Carolina,
South Carolina, Tennessee. Illinois,
Montana. Wyoming. Idaho. Washing
ton and Oregon.
The members Of the National
Guard OF the various States affected
by this call will be concentrated at
such places as may be designated by
the war department"
III. Under the authority conferred
upon mo by clause second of section
one Of the act OF congress to author
ize the president to increase Temporal
rily the military establishment of the
United states. approved May 18. 1917.
l do hereby draft into the military