New Britain herald., 1917-04-19
MAY HAVE TO DRAFT,
 SAYS ADJ. GENERAL
Co. E and Co. 1 Seeking Recruits Here Today

With practically every member of Company E. acting as a recruiting of deer. and with Sergeant Edward Ogren and Corporal Edward Boyd of Company serving in the same ca- pacity. the officers of both local mill ltary companies are today waging a determined campaign for additional recruits. A state mastering officer, examining surgeon and recruiting off, cers from headquarters in Hartford are here and as soon as man ap- piles for enlistment he will be exam ined and sworn into the federal serv- i've, thus eliminating great deal of unAcessary delay.
 The recruiting officers are explain ing in detail that all cn1istments now made arc in reality volunteers, as called for by the war department. Any man enlisting now binds himself az . member of the federalized na- tionaf guard for only the duration of the war. The three year active and three year reserve clause does not hold these men, unless the war should happen to last as long as that.
 .eCan't Hide Behind Skirts.
 Both Company E, which is stationed in this city under Lieutenant Ashley J. Griffin, and Company I, which is doing guard duty elsewhere under Captain A. H. Griswold, need many additional men, although at present the strength of E. company is lower than that of company. Lieutenant Harris of p company has received copy. of the adjutant generals state ment made yesterday in which Cover nor Holcomb concurred in agreeing that if volunteers do not come for ward immediately to recruit the ranks of the National Guard he will resort to the draft system even though 1t does deplete the ranks of the Home Guasd. As explained by local officers the draft would give every man an kedua1 chance of being selected. From "a list of all men elegible for military duty the number of men needed would be drawn b ylots, similar to the nethod of drawing prizes at bazaars. Men so selected must report imme.. diately or face fine of $50 per day for each day they are absent. An un- l official report from Washington to- day states: "Skirts will not protect Hackers. The war department an- l xounced today that all men married l dnce the declaration of the existence ofthe state of war will be treated up- un the same basis as unmarried men insofar as their military obligations are concerned"
 May Resort to Draft.
 Headquarters in Hartford last night issued the following bulletin:
 sLieutenant Clarence c. Scarbor- ough,s in charge of the recruiting station at the State Armory, will go to New Britain today, accompanied by four clerks and a medical ex- aminer, probably Lieutenant w. P.
 $. Heating, with two assistants, to try and get more recruits taking ad- Nantage of the Lexington Day. ob- Servance in the Hardware City today |1t is probable that details from the recruiting office at the State Armory will go to different cities and towns Hin the central and northern part of the state in an attempt to enthuse young men to enlist in the First Con-
 necticut Infantry. There was little
 work. yesterday at the recruiting of- !4ce here, only one man being en- kisted. Adjutant General Cole said
 hat it was probable that steps would l,e taken soon toward the draft move- I.n ent to strengthen the National
 3uard unless there is an impetus to
 he enlisting.
 During a leave of absence to
 .uJonel Richard J. Goodman, who is ko b1lmarried today. Lieutenant Col nner Edwin E. Lamb will be in
 charge of the First Connecticut In- [antry.