The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1918-01-04
Will HOLD RALLY
TO WIAL!zt LOCAL
GUARD ktCRUIIMG
W. F. ANDERSON, PRES. BOARD
OF TRADE, APPROVES MASS
MEETING FOR PURPOSE.
GILL Is one TO DUTY
Company Being Formed ON Demo.
cratic Easis--lt viii be an oppor-
tunity for Service at Home Until
Time Comes to 90 to Front.

4
! 1t has become obvious that some.
thing must b." done to put more vital.
ity into the recruiting 10. tie local
company of the Fourth Tenness go,
National Guard, if the company is to
be formed. With that end in view
mass meeting and rally will be called
within few days for the purpose of
making last drive for recruits.
w. F. Anderson, president of the
board of trade, stated yesterday that
1t would be reflection upon Columbia
If the effort to raise company here
should prove to be failure. He will
join in calling the mass meeting and
rally and he expects all members of
the board of trade to give their Co
operation to the movement.
The plan of organization of the local
company has been pitched upon
democratic basis. The men who have
taken lead in the recruiting have
been given no commission or promise
OF commission. They have enlisted
as privates. The officers are to be
chosen by the enlisted men subject to
the approval Of Governor Rye and the
Adjutant Geenral The enlisted men
themselves will determine who their
commissioned officers shall be, pro-
vided they choose competent men. 1t
is not expected that they will choose
any other kind.
This company is needed. 1t will be
a form of service in which all men
from Is to As years of age who are
remaining at home for the present for
any reason may be engaged. Mem.
oership in this company will be a
mark of duty well performed There
will be no glory in it, for all the glory
OF this war must go to the men at
the front. But there will be some.
plain, everyday, prat teal demonstra..
ton of willingness to serve the state.
and nation at home, thus releasing
more men to go to the front with the
realization that there will be military
protection for the folks back home,
The Fourth Tennessee may or my
not be called or drafted into federal
service. The probabilities are that t
will not. The law, however, REQUIRES
that all national guard recognized by
the federal government shall be in.
spected at least once each year.
Some confusion has arisen due To
several branches of the service recog.
nized, or simply authorized by fed.
eral law. A news dispatch frog,
Washington intended to distinguish
United States guards from home
guards led some persons to confuse
national guards with United States
guards.
Home guards are distinctly those
which the name implies. Such organ
izations, while permitted and encJur.
aged by state and national authority,
will not be accorded recognition in
the sense that they will be armed,
equipped or in any sense maintained
by the state or federal government
United States guards will in no
manner be connected with either the
home guard or the national guard.
The United States guard is intended
Tor immediate service in guarding
property, especially such property as
is necessary to the maintenance of the
military establishment 1t will be
organized along military lines; a dis.
tinctive uniform will be provided, but
will not be placed in training. Men ex.
perienced in patrolling and in guard.
ing property are particularly desired
for this branch of the service. They
will be organized without reference
to state lines and without, excepting
indirectly perhaps, state assistance.
The national guard is primarily
state institution, offering itself to the
federal government for service in
in return for which the
federal authorities accord recognition
and assist in the maintenance.
The Fourth Tennessee is a national
guard regiment. 1t goes into the state
service upon exactly the same footing
as were the old national guard regi.
ments before they were federalized.
The War Department has indicated
that national guard organized since
Aug. 5 will probably not be federal
lzed, but wants it understood that the
draft status of individuals of draft
age shall not be changed, and further
that the regiment may be drafted as a
unit within the discretion of the pres
dent.