The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1917-03-28
TWELVE MILITIA REGIMENTS
CALLED OUT FOR SERVICE

mobilization, the enrolling and train
| ing of a great army, whether raised as
volunteers, by conscription or through
a universal service bill.
The object of the creation of the new
departments Of the northeast and
southeast was to distribute among
three central commanders the work Of
mobilization in the States most thick
ly populated and from which the great
est number Of soldiers must come The
present eastern department directed
the mobilization Of approximately 80
per cent Of the 10000 guardsmen sent
to the border. With 100000 men, the
maximum authorized strength Of the
national guard, called out in addition
TO whatever volunteers might be sum-
moned, the task would be too great for
a single departmental organization be-
cause of the vastness Of the supply
problems involved.
Instructions to national guard Of
ficers issued more than a month ago
to cover any future mobilization show
ed plainly that the war department
had learned its lesson and proposed
to dementralze it's mobilization prob
lens as far as pissible. Department
tai commanders will supervise the as
cembling of state troops in their dis
tricts hereafter and will take over i'm
mcdiately OH the call for federal ser
vice the task Of recruiting for the
guard regiments through organization
Of reserve battaions.
Indications tonight were that the ad
ministration planned to await con
grcss before further warlike prcpara-
tons arc ordered President Wilson
has authority to direct that the regu-
lar army be brought up to full war
strength at once and also to call out
the remainder Of the national guard
and the naval militia.
In designating State troops to be
cas!c; o"t, It IS apparent thai ;nne war
department has carefully surveyed the
held OF private enterprises which
might be assailed in event Of domestic
disturbances. The number of troops
from each state summoned to duty
bears direct relation to the ship
yards, munition plans or other indus
tries in that State which may need
military protection.
Many plans of various kinds have
sought protection either from the Fed
eral or State authorities and the war
department can now decide what
course to take with each such appli-
cation.
Congress will be asked, it is un-
derstood to expediate espionage leg
islation in connection with this phase
of the situation.
at the navy department it was
learned that congress also would be
requested to authorize an increase be-
yond the $1,000 war strength limit for
lenisted personnel now set. The Or
ganiZation of great fleets of subma-
rine chasers will make necessary the
enlisting Of many thousand more men
than planned for when the present act
was framed. Every fghtig ship now
in the service or soon to be completed,
could be manned with tho $1,000 Jack
les.
The order to recruit to war strength
was signed by President Wilson yes
terday when he and Mrs. Wilson call
ed at Secretary Daniels office. 1t was
not made public, however, until de-
tails for carrying it into effect had
been arranged. The recruiting SER
vice has been running recently with
edoublod energy and accomplishing
good results. Under the new order,
however, emergency funds will be en-
ployed to again redouble efforts to en-
roll suitable men.
The President found It necessary to-
day to take further measures to con-
serve his own time for official confer
enccs In connection with the present
national emergecy. He directed that
hereafter only conferences Of the most
pressing nature be arranged for him.
Tomorrow, he will sec Chas. j. Vopicks,
United States, minister to Roumania.
Bulgaria and Servia. and later in the
week Will confer with Senate and
House leaders prior to the convening
of the special session of Congress a
week from tomorrow.
The war department has nearly
completed preparations of It's appro-