The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-05-08
Home GUARD T
REGULATIONS
ARE SIMPLE
Adjutant General Fraser Issues
Modification of the State
Militia Laws
TO CHANGE PRESENT UNITS
Companies Cannot Continue to
Drill and Carry Arms
Independently

ent home guard units to state home
guard if the units desire to drill and
carry arms, announces Adjutant Gen.
eral Fraser in response to queries
which have reached his office. 1.-THE
North Dakota home guard is not or
ganized in accordance with the re-
quirements of the war department of
the United States and therefore is not
subject to draft as a unit" advises
General Fraser. "Tho individual Of
draft age remains subject to draft by
the United States, even while in the
North Dakota home guard. In short,
by enlisting in the North Dakota home
guard, the individual ASSUMES no ad-
ditional responsibility to the United
States and is relieved from none.'
A home guard company can go over
into q new guard as unit or as indr-
viduals, states the adjutant general,
and in order to facilitate rapid organ
ization, examination will be dispensed
with at the start, as to physical or
mental qualifications. Should condi-
lions later develop the necessity OF
such, they maye be called for. The
age limit for enlistment in the home
guard is from IS to 60 years. Mem.
Ders of home guard units who have
already been enrolled will be retained
subject to the approval Of the CON-
which they belong.
The home guard oath will vary from
the national guard oath in that it will
run to the state of North Dakota only.
The oath of enlistment in the North
Dakota home guard is as follows:
II DO HEREBY ACKNOWLEDGES
T OHAVE VOLUNTARILY ENLIST
ED THIS ......DAY OF. ....19..,
AS "A SOLDIER IN THE NORTH DA-
KOTA HOME GUARD FOR THE
PERIOD OF THE WAR, UNDER
THE CONDITIONS PRESCRIBED BY
LAW, UNLESS DISCHARGED By
THE PROPER AUTHORITY. AND I
DO SOLENlNLY SWEAR THAT I
WILL BEAR TRUE FAITH AND AL
LEGIANCE TO THE STATE OF
NORTH DKOTA AND THAT l. WILL
SERVE IT HONESTLY AND FAITH
FULLY AGAINST ALL ITS ENE-
MES WHATSOEVER ANDETHAT |
WILL OBEY THE ORDERS OFTHE
GOVERNOR OF NORTH. DAKOTA
AMI VT 1E1E VI rlSEIISo al I O4ANtA1
ED OVER ME-, ACCORDING IT,
Law, AND THE RULES AND ARTI.
Giles OF WAR" F.s, = 3
Except in a special emergency,
guards will not be detailed for duty
away from; home. The enlistment,
however, is for service in the state,
and no commanding officer can prom
Use that such service will not be re-
quired if occasion demands. Ordin-
airy requirements of guard duty call
for 4S drills year, aside from active
duty or parades, ordered, The home
guard will be expected to perform
this duty, but the period in which the
drills will be made will be determined
by order from this office, announces
the adjutant general. .,'.
., The state has no equipment to give,
nor is there any immediate prospect
of its being able to do so. Home guard
guard units may obtain recognition by
making application to the adjutanr
general 1t will be the policy of this
office when guard duty is necessary
to call the guard unit or units near
est to the place necessary to be guard.
ed-By command Of the governor, G.
A. Fraser, adjutant general.
formal circular issued by the ad-
jutant general as General Home
Guard Order No. l, recognizes these
units as temporary organizations re-
cruited to serve during the absence
of the national guard in federal serv.
ice, to be disoanded on the return OF
the state troops at the conclusion OF
the war. In organizing the various
units, the provisions Of the North Da
kota militia code will be followed as
far as such provisions are applicable.
An infantry company will consist OF
not less than IS nor more than $50
men, While the physical examination
will not be as rigid as that required
for tho national guard. the members
of the company must be physically
sound and qualified for service in tho
state. The age limit for enlisted men
does not apply to officers The CON-.
missioned officers of company, con-
sisting of captain and two lieutenants,
are to be elected by members of the
company Qualifications required to
hold a commission in the national
guard will not be insisted upon. Unl-
forms and equipment cannot be sup.
piled by the state and this expense
must be met either by the members
of the organization or by the citizens
of the community in which 1t is sta
toned. There are no available funds
for any Of the expenses incident to the
support of the home guard organiza.
tons, such as armory rent. janitor,
fuel lights etc, and it will be neces.
sary for the community in which the
unit is stationed, to take care of such
expense There should be hall in
which the company can meet for drill,
ETC., The organization should drill a.
least once each week and reports OF
the attendance will be made to this
office.
In the first instance, the organiza-
ton of home guard unit should be
taken up with the adjutant general,
who will do everything possible to en-,
courage and assist in the organization
of tn company, and when he is salts.
fled that an organization can be per-
fected and maintained at a certain
point, recognition will be extended to
the organization. The application is
not required to be in any particular
form, but should give the names, ages
and occupation of the proposed mem.
bership, together with statement
showing what quarters are available
for an armory, what can be done in
the way of local financial support, etc.
Whom tho orpa n zo tiop IF q oomnanv