Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-07-11
MANY COMMUNITIES ARE
FORMING HOME GUARDS
Companies Will Be Second Line Of
Police Defense When Militia
Leaves.
PROTECTION AGAINST ALIENS
Mon Eligible for Draft Are Not Be
ing Accepted-State Council of De-
Tense Issues Statement as to Work
of Home Guard In Other States.

OF HOMO Ouaru In Ot16f SCatc6.
In more than 200 communities In vir-
ginia home guard companies have al
ready bsen organized, and throughout
the State there Is great interest mani
tested in the movement, which was out
lined recently by Governor Henry c.
Stuart. 1t was ut his suggestion that
tho bodies have already been organized.
and when the needs OF Virginia have
become more c~rystalizcd in this mat
ter the work Of Statewide organiza-
tion Will DO undertaken. Similar &C
tion ia being taken by other States OF
the country, and the situation is said
to be we'll provided for.
The Virginia Council OF Defense gave
out yesterday a statement dealing with
tho subject of Organization OF these
homo guard companies. This statement
deals with VIA has been done In other
States, and contains a summary or such
activities sent to the Virginia Council
by the Warrington authorities. , 1t is.
In part. as follows:
A considerable number of States,
fearing danger from allen enemies or
lawbreakers at a time when the entire
organized militia OF the State is draft
ed into Federal service, have under
taken to supplement by a volunteer
guard the protection to life and prop
erty afforded by the regular police
force. Though this activity is consid-
ered desirable by the Council Of Ma
tional Defense. and was
on May IT In the letter answering the
questions submitted at tho National De-
Tense Conference, II is to be remem-
bered that In an increasing number OF
States home defense Will be sufficiently
provided for by the constant presence
in tho State OF large masses of men
being tFayned for nIlifarv oar1ioa .-d
that 1t Is undesirable to provide any
organization which will take men away
or distract their attention from their
normal labor. Care should, therefore,
be taken In organizing home guards
or similar bodies not to encroach upon
the working hours or to exhaust the
energies Of men enrolled.
CONSTITUTE SECOND LINE
OF POLICE DEPARTMENT
Tn New York City. Philadelphia, and
many other municipalities, Homo
Guards were organized a considerable
time previous to the actual d~eclara-
ton OF war. In cities and towns tho
Home Guard serves as a police SECOND
line to supplement tho work OF the
city police in the event Of an emer-
gency. and the police organization
should. therefore. be initiated. Thus
in tho New York City Home Guard,
which Is known as the Home Defense
League. the unit of organization Is
the police precinct. The police captain
of each precinct possesses an enroll
ment list OF all the 'guardsmen' in
his precinct. with the business. resi-
dence and telephone number Of each
80 that he can quickly call upon them.
Military drills are held. with calls
themes and setting up exercises. In
structtons are given in the duties of
policemen. The league includes within
Its membership about 49, 900 men. The
Philadelphia organization is similar.
Several OF the State councils have
organized committees dealing. with the
problem OF home defense for the State
as a whole. In this case. the duties
OF the guard resemble the home duties
OF the militia. and organization on a
military basis is customary and de-
sirable. In New York. New Jersey and
Georgia, the Home Guard has been
organised without recourse to special
legislation New York has
a Home Defense Corps under the mill
tary law OF the State. with companies
OF between thirty-six and 100 enlisted
men. Differed by a captain. first and
second lieutenant, and non-commis-
stoned officers. In districts where the
population ia too small to recruit a full
company. provision is made for the
organization Of detached platoons TO
consist OF not over fifty men. The en-
rollment is divided into two classes;
the ffrst may be- ordered to any part OF
the State. while the second may be
called for local duty only. This same
division has been made in the enroll
ment OF the New Jersey Guard.
MEN ELIGIBLE FOR DRAFT
ARE NOT ACCEPTED
In the recruiting Of tho home de-
tense corps OF New York. men eligible
for the National Guard, the Army, or
Navy, are refused. and there are sepa-
rate organizations OF men between the
ages OF eighteen and forty-fve. and of
boys from sixteen to eighteen, and
men from forty-6ve to sixty-four.
Arizona California, Illinois. Massachu-
setts, Michigan, New Hampshire, Penn
sylvania and Rhode Island have en-
acted. and Maryland has planned. legis-
lation on the subject of home guards.
These acts In most cases provide that
the home guard shall be organized, Of
f1cered and regulated by the Governor,
but that the equipment shall not be
furnished at the OF the State.
an Illinois,. though no expense may
be incurred when the Gunrd Is not in
actual service. IL drafted into active
service the expenses OF the Guard are
borne by the State. the enlisted men
being paid 81 a day and tho differed
the same pay that is given to the Of
fcers of the National Guard. The Homo
Guard Ia nqlial1v vaStcd with tho