Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-05-19
War ARMY BILL
SIGNED; GUARDS
TOCOT0 FRONT
Intensive Drill to Prepare
National Guard Units for
Service in France.
War Departments Plan will
Give United States a Great
Fighting Force.

army bill as passed by congress and
finally reviewed at the war depart
ment was signed by President Wilson
last night thereby putting into tmmedi
ate motion machinery designed to
produce within a years time a nation
al army of more thai 1000. 900 train
ed and equipped men, packed by ade-
Quate reserves of men and supplies
and by an additional 100000 soldiers
under training.
The presidents proclamation sum-
mon approximately 10000, 900 men
from FL to 80 years Of age to register
for military service and setting Tues
dav Tune s. as the date for registra-
ton.
Prepare Guards to Go to Europe.
Meanwhile the war department is
pushing vigorously Its preparations to
mobilize the national, guard, which,
with the regulars, forms h first line
army. 1t was announced today that
all existing regiments of the guard
will be called into service by August
s and officials estimate that with
from a month to six weeks of inten-
sive training these troops will be
ready to go forward for final prepara-
ton behind the fighting lines in Eu-
rope.
Regular army regiments already are
in motion northward from the border.
preparatory to the expansion of the
regular service to full war strength.
OF the 1S3,898 men necessary to bring
the regulars up to the 2ss,ooo mark;
74.S33 already have been recruited
and the remainder are expected to
come in before June IS.
For Service Anywhere on Globe.
The National Guardsmen will be
drafted into tho Fodorol corvfco In
three increments. on July is, July rs
and August 8. AS a general order: is
issued by the president drafting speci-
f1c regiments, the force will cease to
be militia n becomes part Of the
armies Of the United States. They will
be relieved of the limitations upon use
of the militia and be available for
service in any part of the world.
State authorities were authorized
today to fill present regiments or 9TH
er units up to full war strength. maxi
ing a force OF unfortunately 329.945
men and 9,847 officers. No new Ma
lional Guard Organization will be ac-
cepted by the federal government un-
til this is done and reserve b~attalions
suit will be virtually to triple the
present strength of the guard, but re-
ports to the department show heavy
recruiting in all states.
To Train in South.
The department announced also
the distribution by military depart
ments Of the 16 divisions of the new
selective draft army and the 16 Ma
tional Guard divisions for training
purposes. All Of the guard divisional
environments n most of the selec-
tive army camps will be in the south
ern part of the country.
In all the forces to be formed will
comprise seven divisions Of regulars,
four Of which will be available for
mobile duty in continental United
States. supplemented by 16 National
Guard divisions and later by 1e selec-
tive divisions. Behind this force a
second call on the selective forces,
provided for in the bill, will add 16
additional divisions.
Allowances must be made, when
the military census of men between
h specified ages has been complet-
ed, for probable variation from CEN
u bureau estimates as to the total
number of persons in this classifca-
ton. 1t IL regarded as unlikely that
h registration will show the exact