Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1918-01-04
CAPT. {. w. GIBSON
DEFENDS VERMONT
Shows Charlotte Observer This
State is Not a Stacker
Quotes Figures Compiled by Governor
Graham and Points to the Patriotic
Record of Vermont People.

Record of Vermont People.
Capt. Ernest W. Gibson of Company
|, First Vermont infantry, who is at
Camp Greene, Charlotte, \. c.. writes
in the Charlotte Observer Of December
30 vigorous defense of Vermont
against the charge of slackcrism in en-
listmcnts. His defGpsc is so admirable
| that it is reproduced herewith:
To the Editor of The Observer: My
attention is called to your recent cdi-
torial "The Recruiting Record, = in
| which it is stated in substance that
Vermont is one of the laggard states
| in the matter of voluntary cnlistmcnts
| for the army. The Observer can hardly
| be called to account for the assertion
contained in the editorial, since the
same charge has been made in north
crn papers, which by reason of their
near location to the state criticised,
were in position to know better.
| know you are only too willing to have
the facts appear.
The war department $ published rec
ord of states failing to meet their quo
ia only covers the regular army. Two
| blHNI al HllNo dlf III ing I'IbNN'o VI i''
nation, the National Guard army and
| the National army has been filed by
each state through the draft. Tine
only fair basis of determining if
state has filed its quota is to take its
| records for the two armies where vol
untary enlistmcnts are accepted, name
ly the regular army and the National
Guard army.
The adiutant general of the army has
not furnished, so far as | know, the
Official statistics of enlistments since
June 80. The official statement will be
made when the quota is levied under
the sclective service law. Therefore
any comparison must now stand ON the
figures of June so, 1917.
| In the whole nation, between tee
date of the call of the Vermont troops
and June 80, there were enlisted in the
regular army and the National Guard,
301 ,693 men or 26.16 per cent of the
gross quota apportioned by the Prcsi-
dent to the several states. In Yer
mont, according to the figures given 20
the public by Governor Graham, for the
same period there were 1916 enlist
mcnts, or 1917 per cent of the gross
quota. As compared with the entire
nation. Vermont furnished 15J.ll per
cent of its share. In cnlistments III
the two armies, Vermont followed Ore
gon, $50 per cent; Wyoming, 55.3l
per cent; Kansas, 53.40 per cent; South
Dakota, 47.06 per cent; Maine. 1923
per cent and Iowa, Al per cent, and
stood seventh.
Taking the strength of the National
Guard at the time of the call, and en-
liStmcnts to June 80, 1917, in the Ma
tional Guard and regular army, the
aggregate for the United States was
liJ,9>5, or 40.42 per cent of the gross
quota. Vermont 5 aggregate for the
same period was 2,lSS, or 61.47 per
cent. As compared with the rest of the
United States Vermont furnished l6G.92
per cent and stood eighth in the list a.,
being passed only by Hawaii, Oregon,
District Of Columbia, Maine, New
Hampshire, Rhode Island and Wyom
ing.
so many enlisted voluntarily in Yer
mont that the state was called upon
to furnish but l,0l9 men for the Ma
tional army, or 1913 per cent of its
allotment for the armies. Windham
county more than filled its quota, was
not called upon to furnish any men and
in other counties only few men were
required.
Vcrmot has always done her part.
No more patriotic people are to he
found. Battling with naturally bar
rem soil aud sometimes bleak climate,
her citizens. while building rugged
character that has made its impression
on that of the nation, have made the
land respond and have wrought Il
wealth far above the average.
May ! point to facts of history 10
prove her patriotism When England,
with the power Of her great navy, tried
Immediately after the Declaration of
Independence, TO separate New Eng
land from the rest of the colonies, her
green landSmcn built II fleet and on
Lake Champlaim which ended the hope
Of the mother country, her fighting men
turned the tide at the battle of Ben.
nmgton and forced Burgoyne 3 sur.
render; they dragged the cannon across
two hundred miles of almost trackless
wilderness and made the success OF
Washington at Boston possible; while
fighting for the colonies, she main
tanned her independence of all the
lworld for II years and until accepted