Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-05-18
MAY INCREASE
IOWA'S GUARD
STATE AUTHORIZED TO RECRUIT
TO WAR STRENGTH BUT NOT
so ORDERED.

Des Moines, May 15-The enlist
ment of so per cent more men in the
Iowa National guard, bringing the
units to war strength, to be followed
units to correspond with the company,
making the total 10,400 men, as pro
vided for in the act of congress Of
June 3, 1916, is in the air, although no
orders have as yet been received to
this effect by Adjutant General Guy e.
Logan.
The war department has decided
that the various states have authority
to organize at once the units author
lied by the act of June 8, which was
originally intended to go into effect
in 1921, but it is pointed out that IL
this was ordered it would indict a
hardship upon some states. For this
reason and also because the war de-
partment is anxious to first carry out
the selective CONSUMPTION act, only
permission is granted to organize new
units.
Need $50 to Company.
But before these new units ara or
ganized the war department says th8t
the present organizations of the guard
must be recruited from the present
peace strength, about 100 men to a
company, to war strength, about $50
men to company, and no order for
this recruiting has as yet been re-
ceived.
Before the new units can be taken
into federal service they must be in.
spected and accepted by a regular
army inspector. they must have ar.
mories and their new officers must b0-
examined and passed.
Prepare for Registration.
In the meantime the work Of prepGr-
Ing Tor the federal census Is progress-
ing. Governor w. L Harding has sent q
letter to every sheriff in Iowa and to
the mayors in cities with more than 30,-
600 population according to the 1910
census, urging them to make haste in
the tentative selection of q registrar for
each voting precinct in the state and
secure the rooms where the voting 10
generally held, for registration pur-
poses. The registrars and the rooms are.
TO be secured without cost, il possible,
put they must be secured. even II Paid
for
1t is possible that il the war depalt-
ments selective CONSUMPTION law is put,
into force within the next few weeks.
that 1t will take precedent over the
plans to recruit the national guards 70
war strength and thus delay the move
ment to secure the new units allotted to
Iowa.
The New Units.
The new units consist OF two new
companies Of engineers. making 4
battalion formation with the one com
pany the state now has, an addition Of
eight officers and 1928 men,
AN ammunition train FOR division Of
two officers and fifty-one men.
An outpost signal company. Of about
! three officers and seventy three men,
An ammunition train for division
| twenty-six officers and $50 men.
second regiment Of field ARTILLERY
in addition to the one recently organ
lied. with forty-seven officers and 1890
men to be assigned to the twentieth
territorial division, consisting of the
states of Montana, Washington, Ore
gon and Idaho.
Eight more troops and regimental
headquarters of cavalry, making full
regiment with the squadron now organ
lzed. calling for thirty officers aud $50
more men.
One field hospital with six officers
and seventy-three men, now being or
gained at Sioux City.
one new ambulance company with
five officers and $50 men.
One new division headquarters troop
with about three officers and 100 men.
One new headquarters train OF twen-
ty-two officers and 212 men.
One battalion of four companies Of
heavy artillery calling for seventeen Of
f1cers and SO men. This last unit win
be armed with the A. inch field pieces
and 6-inch howitzers.