The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-03-11
MAY JOIN FIRST
VERMONT INF.
Men Already Self-Inducted
Are Given That OPP
portunity
GOV. GRAHAM WIRES
FROM WASHINGTON
Men Who Recently Went to.
Camp Greene Were AS
signed to Regulars

, mont infantry. Ever since sell -lnuuclc
Nermonters were first assigned to tn
e 4th division, instead of the 51th Ponce
I infantry, Governor Graham has endeay
ored to obtain permission for all thos
J. who wished, to be transferred TO the OF
T ganization which was regarded as tn
Green Mountain regiment. Until noN
2 authority has been denied for the trans
fer of these recently self-inducted mer
The governors office Saturday evening
! received a. telegram from Governor Ora
ham, who is spending several days il
! Washington on official business. stain;
that ON March o, 1918, the secretary o
war directs that necessary steps b.
taken to effect the transfer of the mel
named in the attached list, should they
so desire. from the 4th division Irregular
to the 57th Pioneer infantry, formerly
the LIST Vermont infantry. The matter
is now up TO the individual men to decide
whether they wish to remain in the 4tl
division or be transferred to the 9th
Pioneer infantry.
With reference to this situation, let.
ter of Feb 20, 1918, from Secretary OF
War Newton d. Baker is quoted below:
Washington, Feb. 20, 1918"
Honorable Horace +. Graham, Governor,
of Vermont, Montpelier, VT.
My dear Sir: With reference to your
kilograms of Feb. 10 and IL, relative to
the assignment of men to the lst Yer
mont infantry, who have been yolntar-
! lily indicted into the service and who, it
seems. were promised assignment to that
organization, ] have the honor to say
that letter dated Jan. 3, 1918, was re.
ceiyed in this Office from the command
ing officer OF the lst Vermont infantry,
setting forth that the regiment was more
or less disorganized due to transfers in
the formation of the 10Th division and
stating that information he had received
convinced him that at least 600 to 200
men in Vermont of draft age would pre-
sent themselves for voluntary induction
if they were given to understand that
they would be assigned TO that regiment.
He recommended that the commanding
officer of the regiment be authorized to
designate an officer to 20 to Vermont TO
cooperate with the officials of the state
and the local recruiting officers in seeur
ing as many men by enlistment and vol
untary induction as was possible. The
letter was returned stating that the
recommendation was approved in so far
as it applies to men not within the draft
age, and that no men who come within
the draft age will be accepted for volun
tary enlistment except as may be author
lied BY the provost marshal general |
Under this authority, it, appears that
Captain Gibson of the lst Vermont in
fantry was designated TO obtain recruits. !
1t also appears that two other officers of |
Al He yb<N laax gxf h
sence, likewise made endeayors to obtain |
recruits for the regiment. Their efforts |
appear to have been made on their own
initiative and without any specific au-
thority from any authorized source.
THE existing instructions from the
provost marshal generals office with re-
gard to voluntary inductions for the in
fantry authorized local boards to accept
registered men who apply for voluntary
for the infantry and to send
such accepted men to Camp Greene. Lo
al boards have no authority to accept
,uch for any specific organization of in
antry and it is not understood that To-
al boards have exceeded this authority.
+ the officers of the regiment, who were
instrumental in sending these men to
heir local boards for voluntary Undue ;
ion, gave them to understand that they (
would be assigned to the LIST Vermont
infantry, they were without authority so
o do. All men who are voluntarily in
ucted for the infantry, except those 9
rom the Pacific coast, are sent to Camp |
lreene, and the standing instructions to q
he commanding general AT Camp Greene
re that such men will be sent to the Sd l
vision until it is filed and thereafter |
o the 4th division. The fact that the Z
ST Vermont infantry happens to be sta I
oned at Camp Greene may have had
caring in the assumption on the part of v
len from Vermont who applied for vol Y
ntary induction that they would be as ?
gned to that regiment on arrival at a
amp Greene. The policy of the depart {
tent, however. has been consistently ad- I
cred to that the assignment of recruits 4
,ould be determined by question of h
riority and il is regretted that excep-
on cannot be made in the case of the s.
It Vermont infantry.
"The instructions given on the recon- q
endation of the regimental commander h
his letter of Jan. 3, referred to, were Il
,ecific that men within the draft age =
ould not be accepted, and when the at
ntion of this office was called to the N
,tivities of the officers of the LIST Yer
ont infantry in securing men within
lie draft age, instructions were sent that n,
eir activities be discontinued at once.
en- who have been sent there through
e activities of these officers will be as
gned according to the best interest of
e service. Instructions have been Civ
to the commanding general. Camp 4
-cene, to assign these men to the 4th u
vision so that they will be kept to- y,
Their in one organization or associated 81,
carnations. Very sincerely yours, -
(Signedl Newton ID. Baker. ="
Secretary of War" on
The following is list of Vermonters II
10 have the privilege of deciding On
iether they are to remain in the 4th 30
vision, or be transferred to the 57th tiV
oneer infantry, formerly the LIST Yer
mt infantry: va
Chittenden county-Louis Blair, Ches- my
Arthur Tucker, William Edward An or
RVS. William Lawrence Giddings, vii. Wi
m X. Supernault, Ralph Z. Bicknell, -
lph II. Manning, Anthony Simon Al l.
-