The Mankato free press., 1918-06-28
Associated Press Dispatch.1

Associated Press Dispatch.1 |
St. Paul, June 21.-Tne new Mime |
sofa. national guard units formed will
be divided into three regiments. One
will have headquarters at ST. Paul, the
Second regiment at Mankato and the
third somewhere in the northern part
of the state Major G. A. Lewis Of
Mankato has been appointed colonel
of the Second regiment by Governor
Burnqust.
With the appointment of G. A. Lew
is as colonel of the Second Regiment,
Minnesota National Guard, with head
quarters, in this city, Mankato be-
comes one of the chief military CEN
ters in the state and the only city in
Southern Minnesota that will be the !
headuuarters for regiment. In add1-
tion to Company c, stationed here,
there will also be headquarters
company of fifty eight men and one
commanding officer. This officer will
be captain of the headquarters com
pany and adjutant of the Second reg
iment. =,
In the headquarters company Will
he included the Second regiment band,
the drum corps and number OF Or
derlies on the regimental staff The
regiment will have full strength,
when completely organized, OF in the
neishborhood of 1,500 men and offl-
GERS. This will include the headquar-
ters' company, a supply company with
thirty seven men and two officers,
machine gun company with ffty-four
men and four officers, and twelve in
fantry companies of one hundred men
and three officers each. A unit OF
sanitary troops will also be formed,
consisting of twenty one men and TOUR
officers and one dental surgeon. A
lieutenant colonel also is to be named.
Major For Each Battalion.
The infantry companies will be di-
yided into three battalions with Il
major at the head of each. The cities
in this part of the state to be lncludea
in the Second regiment have not yet
been designated. Headquarters Tor
the First regiment have been cstaD-
Hshed in ST. Paul and companies from
the northern part OF the state VIII pe
included in this.
Enlistments in the new organization
will be taken in week or ten days
as soon as the necessary blanks ar
rive. Men anywhere from the ages q
eighteen to forty five may enlist lhey
will be Obliged to pass the same phy
steal examination as E1cn VINO are Sc
lected for the national army. Men II
the national guard will not be conslo
cred as being in the United States
army and their draft classification vii
remain the same even though they en-
ter this state organization Co.one
Lewis stated this morning that it l.
probable no Glass l men will be ac
cepted.
Subject to Call Outside State.
The federal government recognize
the national guard as state mllll'
troops only. Their purpose is TO pu
down any insurrection, repel invasion
and enforce law and order and tn
constitutional rights of citizens in an
part of the country. AS nauona
guard troops the men would be SUB
ject to call outside this state On
could not be called into foreign serv
ice. It is hoped that wherever ther
is a suitable armory it will be possibl
to enlist most of the home guar
troops in the national guard Tn
idea is to have a national guard corn
pany wherever there is an armory an
to continue with the home guard or
ganizatiens in small towns where th
protection is needed and where thcr
is not suitable drill hall.
Officers in the home guards Wi
probably be advanced in rank whe
the change Of organization is mad
Nothing definite with regard to TT
changes in rank has been given OF
vet, but it is presumed that the hel
tenant colonel and majors will receiN
their appointments from the govern'
as did Colonel Lewis. 1t is presume
that some of the staff officers will
selected from home guard compani
outside of Mankato, as the custo
has been not to have them all locate
in one CITY,
Mankato will need two hundred mt
in the. headquarters company and Con
pany C when the organizations go il
to the nalfonal guard. While many
the home guards are expected
change over into the militia, Colon
Lewis hopes that there will be no dl
ficulty in filling the local companies
full strength Immediately.
Always in Military Line.
Since the national guard compani
were first formed in Minnesota, Ma
kato has. had a company station
here and has always given such
unit strong support. The first II
formed here was Company f, Mimi
sofa National Guard, mustered in
service by Major Joseph BobDiet
with George w. Mead as its first ca
tain. Captain Mead served in this c
pacisy for about six months when
w. Burgess was commissioned as ca
tain. Upon the temporary removed
Captain Burgess from the city he, W
followed in command of the compa
by J. l.. Washburn. Those followl
Captain Washburn as captains
Company were: D. r. McGraw,
L. Comstock, William Dehney and Q