New Britain herald., 1917-03-17
THIRTY-TWO ENLIST FOR HOME SERVICE
Rules Interpreted to Make All
 Men Eligible

New Britain's Home Guard bat talion has been recruited by twenty additional men, all of whom appeared at the recruiting office in City hall last evening and registered with Burton c. Mercy and Col. w. w. Bull len. This brings the total number Of Home Guardsmen, excluding any who may have enlisted today, up to thirty-two. Those in charge of the movement feel certain that their hopes of organizing a division of 500 Home Guardsmen will be realized.
 There are a. large number of Span- ish War veterans, former militiamen and men who have served in the Ma tional Guard or other military or ganixations who are expected to en- list soon. Private citizens who have never seen any military service are also being urged to join this com pany. Although the original rules for enlistment as sent from Hartford were rather ambiguous and gave some people the impression that men could not be enlisted who were sound phy- sically, unmarried and between the ages of 1S and 45, the local office this morning issued the information that anyone can enlist in the Home Guard. When the applicant is given physi- cal examination by the surgeon and is passed he will be advised to join either the National Guard, Naval Militia, army or navy if he comes in the class mentioned as eligible. This will be optional with the applicant, however, and if he declines to enlist iTy either of these branches of the federal service he will be permitted to maintain his standing in the Home Guard. The local recruiting officer furthermore stated that any men eligible for National Guard duty who remains in the Home Guard will not be any more liable to draft, should such an emergency ever arise in this country. than the unattached citizen in the street The Home Guard, it is explained, is not amliated with the federal government and the regular army or National Guard cannot draft its members. A Home Guardsman, although eligible for military duty, would have the same standing in the time of conscription as . man who was in no way connected with this military company.
 Many veternns Enrolled.
 It is gratifying to the ofiicials in charge of the Home Guard recruit ing to see so many former trained soldiers enlisting A majority of those who have enrolled have seen service in the National Guard and some have done duty in tho regular army. Of those who enlisted last night Burton c. Mercy Is a Spanish war veteran and was an officer at that time. He has had twelve years mill itary training. The veteran of veter- ans to enlist to date however, is Col. William w. Bu1len. Col. Bullen has served twenty-three years in the Con- necticut National Guard, is a veteran of the Spanish-American war and a former lieutenant-colonel of the First regiment.
 Men from all stations in. life are cnlisting in the Home Guard and men of all ages eligible are also en- rolling. The oldest Home Guards man yet to enlist in this city Is Philip c. Mcintyre of Washington street. lr. Mcintyre is a we'll known con- tractor and is a member of the board of finance and taxation. His age IS given as 56 years. The youngest re- cruit to date comes from Berlin. He is Paul Colon and gives his age as IT years He has a brother. Joseph. who is in the United States navy and is at present stationed in Guantanamo with the eighth division of the U. s. torpedo hotilla.
 All of the men who enroll in the Home Guard will be notified when to appear for physical examination. As soon as enlistment details have been completed the men will be organized. rrobably into companies. and will be supplied with proper equipment, such as guns, uniforms. etc. They will then arrange for officers and will be-
 gin regulation drills the same as the National Guard.