The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-12-28
vERMoNr's RECORD
Capt. e, w. Gibson Writes Letter to
the Charlotte Observer.

Gated, got misled by some of the un
| truthful comment about enlistment
In Vermont started and kept going
by Golfers Weekly and other un'
| truthful publications. The Observer
| printed a paragraph commenting
| rather unfavorably on Vermont and
Capt. Il. W. Gibson wrote the Obser-
yer letter which is printed last
week as follows;
To the Editor of The Observer:
My attention is called to your re-
cent editorial, THE Recruiting Rec.
ord" in which It Is stated in sub.
stance that Vermont is one OF the
laggard states in the matter of voiun
tary enlistments for the army. The
Observer can hardly be called to ac.
count for the assertion contained in
the editorial since the same charge
has been made in northern papers,
which by reason of their near loca-
ton to the state criticised, were In a
position to know better ] know you
! are only too willing to have the
| facts appear.
The war departments published
record of states failing to meet their
quota only covers the regular army.
| Two other armies are in the process
of formation. the national guard army
| and the national army. The first quota
for the national army has been filled
by each state through the draft. The
only fair basis OF determining il a
state has filled its quota is to take
| its records for the two armies where
voluntary enlistments are accepted,
| namely the regular army and the ma
| tional guard army.
The adjutant general of the army
has not furnished, so far as ] know,
| the official statistics of enlistments
since June 30. The official cement
| Will be made when the quo levi
ed under the selective sen W.
Therefore any comparison must -.
standSon the figures of June 80. 1917.
Inithe whole nation. between the
| date OF fathe call of the Vermont
troops and June 30, there We're en-
listed IN the regular army and the
national guard, 30l,693 men of 26.15
| per cent OF the gross quota apportion
ed by the President TO the several
states. In Vermont, according to the
flgures given to the public by Cover
nor Graham. for the same period
there We're 1876 enlistments, or 4o.57
percent of the gross quota AS com.
| pared with the entire nation Vermont
furnishe 1854 per cent of its share
In enlistments in the two armies,
Vermont followed Oregon, $3.50 per
cent; Wyoming 5531 per cent: Kan
sas 5340 per. cent; South Dakota
4706 per cent; Maine 1928 per cent
and Iowa II per cent and stood
SEVENTH. ,o..o,.
Taking the strength of the nation.
| al guard at the time OF the call, and
enlistments to June 80. 1917, in the
national guard and regular army, the
aggregate for the United States was
465,9S5, or 40.42 per cent of the gross
quota. Vermont's aggregate for the
same period was 2,1sS or 67.47 per
cent. As compared with the rest of
| the United States Vermont furnished
| 1862 per cent and stood eighth in
| the list, being passed only by Hawaii
| Oregon, District of Columbia, Maine
New Hampshire, Rhode Island and
| Wyoming.
So many enlisted voluntarily in
Vermont that the state was called III
| on to furnish but 1,049 mon for the
national army, or 1888 per cent OF
its allotment for the armies Wind
ham county more than filled its quo
ia. vas not called upon to furnish
any men, and in other counties only
1 few men were required.
| Vermont has always done her part
NO more patriotic people are to be
found, Battling with naturally
barren soil and sometimes bleal
climate, her citizens, while building
a rugged character that has made its
impression on that OF the nation
have made the land respond ant
have wrought wealth far above Tho
average.
May | point to facts of history Il
prove her patriotism? When Eng
land, with the power of her grea
navy, tried, Immediately after tn,
Declaration Of Independence, /,
separate New England from the res
Of the colonies, her green landsmei
built a feet and on Lake Champlail
which ended the hope of the mothe
country, her fighting men turned tn,
tide Mt the Battle of Bennington an,
forced Burgoyne's surrender: the
dragged the cannon across two hun
dred miles of almost trackless wi
derness and made the success o
Washington at Boston possible
while fighting for the colonies. sh
maintained her independence of al
the world for thirteen years an
until accepted into the union: in tn
war OF 1912, when Britain again trie
10 invade New England by LAX
Champlain, her men who had neve
seen the ocean, manned the boat
again fashioned from her forests an
. under the gallant MacDonough ser
! the pick of the British seamen dow
: to defeat; it was one of her colles
presidents who led the charge q
Chapultepec, falling at the momer
' OF victory; it was her Dewey VIII
$ commanded the victorious fleet {
Manila; her Clark who piloted III
Oregon around the cape and brougl
her safe and ready for the battle
Santiago; il days after the first ca
for border service came, the Fir
4 Vermont under an able commando