Norwich bulletin., 1917-06-21
RECRUIT STATE GUARD
 TO WAR STRENGTH.
Task Calls For Enlistment of About
 1900 Men.

Plans for recruiting the Connecticut
 National Guard to full war. strength,
 task calling for the enlistment of
 about 1,30O men, were discussed in the
 old senate chamber al the state capi-
 tol when meeting called by the
 Connecticut State Council of Denfense
 fifty prominent men from all parts of the state. Those present included Governor Marcus H. Holcomb, mem
 bers of the military and naval affairs and publicity committees of the state council of defense, chairmen and mem
 bers of the county auxiliary commit tees, military officers members of the military emergency board and others.
 T. A. Scott chairman of the New London County committee, presided. Secretary Thomas Hewes of the coun- cil outlined the purpose of the meet Ing, reading letters urging work for enlistments in the regular army and a letter from Adjutant General NJ Cole pointing out the need of recruiting 1 900 men for the Connecticut Nation; Guard.
 Governor Ho1comb told Of the needs of the regiments, and said the present for Connecticut to be in" Such con- dition did not exist in the Revolution, he said, when with a population of 100000 the state furnished 25.OOO troops. of we furnished men in that proportion now, we would send 175, 900 men," he said. Connecticut's young men must realize that they must fill up the ranks, the governor pointed out. T can only say I wish I was young enough to get into the first rank" said the governor. Somebody must fill the first rank and carry a musket. If we can only get the young men to fill the first rank and carry muskets, we won't have any trouble to fill the plac- es in the munitions factories The thing to do is to get the young men to enlist and do their part
 Major w. A. Merceh, U. S. A. re- tired, regular army recruiting officer for Connecticut told of the methods of publicity used to get regular army re- rcuits, billboards, posters, circulars, slides in moving picture theatres, and other methods. He said the postmast- CTS had aided in recruiting and that stationing uniformed soldiers in pub lie places had brought good results. He believed that the town clerks could assist. The enlisted reserve organiza- tions, he said, prove attractive to the young men. When the reserve corps is filled up, in his opinion, 1t will be easier to get men for the regular army. He said that the regular army now needs ,000 men, and that Connecti- cuts quota of this is about 1.232.
 Adiutant General George M. Cole said that the question which presents itself to him as the important one for CoiueClICul IS IlldI one regiment IS over 500 men short and unless some thing is done it will have to be drafted into federal service much depleted or else there will be a draft to fill the ranks. The Second Regiment is mak- ing splendid Progress and is only about 250 short of it's full complement of D. O02 men.
 We must get those 800 men for the | First Regiment before July 25. We | cannot send the selected army for nine | pr ten months and those national | guard troops and the regular army | must must go over and hold the fort l until the new army get over" said | General Cole. He said he had come | to the council to assist in building up | the national guard.
 Tt would be to our everlasting dis | credit if this First Regiment went into | he federal service 800 short" he | said.
 Colonel Richard J. Goodman, com