New Britain herald., 1917-03-26
CITY GUARD NOW ]. HAS 100 MEMBERS
Mayor Qugley Defends Move in
 Public Statement

| ~VSVVAAAVAAV
 1 At an enthusiastic meeting in the
 state armory yesterday afternoon 106 ] men enlisted as members of the New
 Britain City Guard, the military aux 1 Hilary of the New Britain Rife club. | N. R. A. Many more men secured application blanks and enlistment pa- pers and within few days 1t is ex- pected that the City Guard will be recruited up to 200 men. Those who enlisted yesterday for two year
 period of service were measured for uniforms Any who desire to enlist between meetings should apply to pr. Frank l.. McGuire in LeWitt's block, or B. w. Pape at the Adkins Print
 ing company on Church street.
 During the recruiting of the City Guardsmen yesterday afternoon May
 or o. A. Quigley addressed the as- semblage. defending the City Guard
 move. Mayor Quigley's address, pre-
 sented in formal statement to the
 press. is as follows:
 While 1t may be possible to com
 municate with the governor at once,
 yet there is always danger or delay
 which might be fatal and cause con-
 siderable embarrassment. to the city
 government. I therefore decided af-
 ter much thought that a force of 15O
 citizens should ne recruited as deputies or guards for use in case of emer-
 gency. The incendiary fires of a few
 weeks ago hastened my plans and at the February meeting of the common
 council requested authority to pur- chase 150 special deputy or guard
 badges, which was granted. You will understand that this was before Cover nor Holcomb received authority from the legislature to recruit a home guard.
 My idea of force of deputies be- coming known to the New Britain
 Rifle club several months ago several members approached me with the proposition that a guard unit be formed in the rifle club and that I as mayor of the city swear them in as guards to protect the city in case of danger. This seemed to be. 8 happy solution of the guard problem and I very readily assented and agreed that l would do all I could to al them in securing arms. ammunition and other necessary equipment. The Home Guard bill was passed a week or ten days later. The understanding at that time was that the Home Guard was to be subject only to the governors Or- ders and be liable to duty in any part of Connecticut. The military emer- gency board appointed several local men as recruiting agents, I among the number.
 "Immediately, a recruiting office was opened in the ante room of tile mayors office in City Hall. l wrote to MT. Holden of Hartford of the emer- gency board asking for instructions, enlisting blanks, and necessary infor- nation. To date have received no reply to my letter. Later I tele- phoned to Hartford for instructions, which were given me by MT. Burpee. brother of one of the members of the military emergency board, but we still have not received supplies. In order not to delay enlistment I sent a mes- senger to Hartford for enlistment pa pers and found that the Home Guard was subject to the governors orders, which was eminently proper. but left the city of New Britain in the same predicament in case of trouble as be- fore, as regards the National Guard. We still needed the governors per- mission to call out the guard for To- cal protection. Nothing was nor is said to recruiting officers in the enlist ment papers that the Home Guard is solely to protect our city. If such Is the case. as recruiting officer have never been informed. officially or otherwise, to that effect. While doing all could to assist in re .ruiting the Home Guard, also determined that New Britain should get protection, so I enlisted the support of several public spirited citizens to raise a fund to equip and arm the City Guard.
 According to the military emer- gency board, enlistment obtained of men between certain ages liable for duty in the National Guard was dis couraged. These men desired military training, were patriotic, wanted to help their city, state and nation, but did not want to enlist in the National Guard until they felt that they were really needed, so they joined the City Guard. It is not the intention of the mayor to embarrass the governor or the military emergency board, but feel that under the circumstances be- fore criticism is offered that the situa- ton should be understood. The arms, ammunition and equipment shall re- main the property of the city of New Britain until paid for by individual members of the Rifle club. Such were the conditions laid down by the men who subscribed to the purchase fund. The men will get military training and will be valuable to the state in case of trouble. as they. the same as any other citizen, will be liable to duty If called upon by the national. govern ment.''