Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-04-06
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
ASSUMES Responsibility
State Is Relieved OF Expense of
Guarding Munition Plants
and Bridges.
DIVIDED INTO TWO DISTRICTS
Lccdy in Command in West and
Goodwin i'm East-Major Wright
Goes on Duty To Assist .tdiutam-
General Sale.

EesponSibility for tho protoc,ion or
public interests in Virginia has hncn
assumed by tho United states Eovcrn-
m"nt. according 20 an announcement
made yesterday afternoon by Governor
Henry G. Stuart rho state has hccn
divided into two military districts. With
Fedcralized troops in control The
troops will hc under tho iuristiiction
Of til" Department; Of the East al
though the districts will be directly
under the command Of the ranking
officer.
Colonel Robert +. l.ccdy. OF the
Second Virginia Infantry. will be in
command Of tho First Virginia District.
while Colonel Edward r. Goodwin. Of
the Fourth Virginia Infantry. will! be
in command az the Second Virsinia
District, The point OF division is an
imaginary line drawn diacorally
across the State. starting in Henry
county. near Tho castcrI border Of
Patrick County. and ending in Fairfax
County just northwest OF tho city OF
AlcSanhria The line passes through
Lynchburg and Orange.
Each of tn" districts will have ono
full regiment of infar.ry und two
troops OF cavalry on duty all Of the
time. If necessary. this force can he
increased The troops Will guard all
public and private utilities that have
,,.t1f ft 4,
railroad bridges. tunnels ana terminals
and munition and shiphuilding plants.
Municipal utilities are also being
guarded, hut the Department OF III.
East has issued instructions that The
military cannot be used as watchmcn.
as these must he supplied By the prop
crty owners themselves.
STATE: RELIEVED OF
REsPoNsIBILITy AND ENpENsE
With the Federal government in
charge or police protection work. tho
state will be relieved OF both rcspon-
sibility and expense, hut will have a
reserve force tu call out in an cmer-
sency. The state at present has tho
Richmond Grays Battalion and the
Engineer Corps IN duty. hut The
former Will b. relieved. it is cxrectcd.
within the next forty-cish, hours
Two troops Of the First Virginia cav
airy. pr Richmond Blues. will he as
signed TO duty here. and companies
from Portsmouth and Suffolk will
probably be dispatched here to relieve
the other companies OF the local bat
talon. The volunteer detachment from
the EchmonG Howitzers has already
been relieved. but the cnGinecrs will
be retained on duty pending a decision
on the status Of the organization. which
is assumed by The State military au-
thoritics to have hccn mustered out
Of the Federal service. but which Wash
:nGton officials state has not BEEN
mustered out.
Troops \ and e. Of the blues. left
yesterday for LynchburS and Hoanoke
TO relieve the First and Second Com
panics Of Coast Artillery. which have
been ordered to Fortress Monroe for
instruction. Tho troops will come un-
der the command OF Colonel I.ccdy in
whose district the Richmondcrs will
operate Troops and ID will remain
on duty here. being under tho command
Of Colonel Goodwin
MANY REQ aUESTS RECEIVED
FOR GUARD DETAILS
Demands FOR gu: rdS were received
from scores Of poin.s Yesterday hv Nd
jutant-Gcncral W. W. Sale. who in
formed all applicants that they should
communicate with the commander in
whose district their property is sit
uatcG. II would have taken 70 DIVISION
to have filled the demands made ycsicr-
day, tho applications tcing chiefly
from concerns which should resort 20
watchmrn TO look after their propcrty,
little of which is subject to attack
Should the occasion arise it. is prob
able that the entire First Virginia in
fantry 'ould be called out In that
event it is probable that third dis
trict would bc created as tho portion
uConlinucd on Fourth i'age)