The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-12-27
VERMONT DEFENDED
nv SOUTHERN PAPER
Capt. Z. w. Gibson Of First Vermont In
fantry Shows Charlotte, N. C., OBJ
server Wherein Vermont Is
Not Stacker State.

produced herewith;
i To the Editor of The Observer: VI
, attention is called 10 your recent ediiC
) rial The Recruiting Record in While
| il j. stated in substance that Vernon
Is one Of the laggard states in the mat
ted of voluntary enlistments for III
army The Observer can hardly be Gale
to account for the assertion contained i
the editorial, since the same charge Ina
been made in northern papers. which b.
reason Of their near location TO the stat
criticised. were in position to know
better | know YOU are only too willini
To have the facts appear
The war department published rec
ord of states failing to meet their quot,
only covers the regular army Tw,
other armies are in the process of for
nation, the National Guard army aud
: the national army. The first quota fol
the national army has been filed by eacl
state through the draft. The only fan
basis OF determining If a state has filled
its quota is 10 take its records for the
two armies where voluntary cnlistment-
are accepted, namely the regular army
and the National Guard army.
The adpItant general Of the army has
not furnished so far rs ! know. the off.
cial statistics of enlistments since June
30. The official statement will be made
when the quota is levied under the Sc
lective service law. Therefore any com
parison must now stand on the figures Of
June 30, 1917
In the whole nation, between the date
of the call of the Vermont troops and
June 30, there were enlisted in the regu-
lar army and the National Guard, 30l,
693 men or 26.l6 per cent OF the gross
quota apportioned by the president to
the several states. In Vermont, ac-
eording to the figures given 20 the pub.
| lie by Governor Graham, for the same
period there were $40 enlistments, or
1851 per cent of the gross quota. As
compared with the entire nation Vermont
| furnished 1914 per cent of its share.
In enlistments in the two armies Yer
mont followed Oregon, $3.50 per cent;
Wyoming 55.3l per cent; Kansas 53.40
per cent; South Dakota 47.06 per cent
Maine 1925 per cent and Iowa al per
cent and stood seventh.
Taking the strength of the National
Guard al he time of the call, and en-
lstments TO June 30 1917, in the Ma
tional Guard and regular army, the
AREEtA1bt AbI IiE NHltNN tNtdAtN WIS
f45,aS5. or 40.42 per cent Of the gross
quota Vermont aggregate for the same
period was 2,lss or 6747 per cent. As
compared with the rest Of the United |
States Vermont furnished 1862 per |
cent and stood eighth in the list, being I
passed only By Hawaii. Oregon, District /
of Columbia, Maine, New Hampshire,
Rhode Island and Wyoming
So many enlisted voluntarily in Yer
mont that the state was called upon to
furnish but l,049 men for the national
army. or 1888 per cent of its allotment
for the armies Windham county more
than filled its quota, was not called upon
TO furnish any men and in other coun
ties only few men were required.
Vermont has always done her part
No more patriotic people are TO be found.
Battling with naturally barren soil and
a sometimes bleak climate, her citizens,
while building a rugged character that
mas made its impression on that OF the
nation, have made the land respond and
nave wrought a wealth far above the
lverage.
MAY | point to facts OF history TO
1rove her patriotism? When England,
With the power Of her great navy, tried !
after the Declaration OF In
dependence, 10 separate New England
rom the rest of the colonies, her green
andsmen built feet and on Lake
'hamplain which ended the hope OF the
mother country her fighting men turned |
ne tide at the battle of Bennington and l
orced Burgoynes surrender; they
ragged the cannon across two hundred /;
niles of almost trackless wilderness and d,
nade the success of Washington at Bos-
on possible: while fighting for the colo !
les, she maintained her independence OF ]
II the world for thirteen wears aud I'M q
4 accepted into the union; in the war @
t 1912, when Britain again tried to in S
ade New England by Lake Champaign, !;
er men who had pever seen the ocean
tanned the boats again fashioned from .
er forests and under the gallant Mac .
onough sent the pick of the British y
amen down to defeat; 1t was one OF her q
,llepe presidents who led the charge at 0
falling az the moment of |,
ctorv; it was her Dewey who com
anded the victorious feet at MANILA
r Clark who ploted the Oregon around
,e cape and brought her safe and ready :,
II the battle at Santiago, IA days after y
lie first call for border service came, .
e First Vermont under an able COM
ander. president of one of her colleges q
as $500 miles from home and ready for
q emergency: with the breaking out h,
this war her Young men went in great
Imber into the Canadian army and have
en- fighting and falling in front line y
anches. the state with a population Of oil
IS in number than within radius of
miles of Charlotte appropriated 81
Illion dollars for the war, and voted al
pay her soldiers $40 per month in ad ov
ion to regular government pay; raised -
d equipped full war strength regi
mt and provided enough equipment for W
other; raised a regiment OF men de uC
red by expert examiners for The army So
be the best physically developed men NJ
" had been called upon TO examine 90
1 out of which only 20 men in 1000 "
ne taken a. unfit for the most strenu y,
, work We have our faults, many OF
m. but slackers. never
n the center Of your beautiful city is tu
tablet. commemorative 20 the signing ag
a declaration OF independence Up in wa
home county Is a table; which marks nv
spot where the first blood of the %
lerican revolution was shed in defense -,
that declaration Today North Caro-
and Vermont stand united 10 uphold
principles here proclaimed. for a gov mo
ment OF the people and IN opposition inr
lutocracv Let us vic with each other
striving FOR = fuil realization Of tri-