The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1920-06-11
Saint Peter Guard Must
Attend the Camp
LINE EN- UP IS ORDER
Fair Play to Others Sentiment
{ of Officers; Story of
Trouble

publishes the following story;
Facing drastic action to compel
their attendance at the Minnesota Ma
ytional Guard encampment, after high
Officers were reported to have clash
ed over the matter Of excusing many
of its members, Company B, Fifth in
fantry, indicated that it would report
to Camp Rosenwald. Fort Smelling to-
day. This will be three days late.
The decision to come TO camp was
reached after Brigadier General Wal
ter F. Rhinow, adjutant general, had
ordered the company to camp and had
sent Lieutenant Colonel Elmer e.
Miller of the Fifth infantry to st.
Peter. Mimi, to see that the company
ubeyed the order.
General Rhinow took the decisive
step after meeting with q military
toard composed OF Brigadier General
Perry Harrison and the three regt-
mental commanders.
Members of Company B were re.
ported not to relish the prospect of
attendance at the encampment be.
cause of the draft on their time by
iarn. work, but it was said at st.
Peter last night that no opposition
would be manifested.
Petition Was Started.
B company, composed of ninety
farmers from the vicinity of st. Peter
and OF local business men, started a
petition two weeks ago, according to
State Senator Benson, asking his in.
tercession with Governor Burnquist
to excuse the company from attend
ance at camp. Senator Benson, with
a committee made up of County At
torney George T. Olson, Represents.
tive II. H. Showers and Representative
Oscar A. Swenson, made up . list
excused from camp duty. Senator
Benson then came to confer with the
adjutant general who finally passed
upon the excuses. A supplementary
list Of thirty men, mainly from the
town OF ST. Peter, was them present.
!. cd Colonel r.. T., Minnegerode, com
handing the Fifth infantry. declared
that Il seventy two out OF q company
Of ninety were to be excused the
company might as well not come.
When camp opened last Saturday.
Lieutenant Herbert Johnson. In com
mand Of B company, accompanied by
O bugier, Raymond Osenloth, were
the only members to report In camp.
Sentiment In St. Peter.
The sentiment In st. Peter has been
strongly against the maintenance of
the guard company for some time, re-
porta from the town last night indi-
Gated, because Of the inconvenience
its duties impose. Some army Off
cials in camp here stated last night
that this sentiment had been fostered
by prominent men in st. Peter.
Colonel Minnegerode, upon his ar
rival In camp Saturday. urged a thor
oeEh investigation Of the entire stu
alton, It was revealed YESTERDAY.
shown to be based upon misrepre.
sentation of fact. 1t was disclosed at
the military board meeting yesterday.
As B company has been federally
recognized, It would be impossible for
them to be excused from attendance
In camp as unit, unless approval
was expressly given by the federal
government, army officers said last
night. - /
Must Play Fair With Others.
"The matter in a nutshell is this"
declared one prominent national
guard officer last night. "Mjnnesota's
national guard Is newly organized.
We have started most propitiously,
and the future OF the Guard never
was brighter. But to continue so
finely as we have started, we must
pIhy VIII CNcIJ Oobn~uhlty
the state. Because sentiment in
eome locality is opposed to matters
military in any shape OF form. that
10 no reason why consideration should
be shown that community. B COM
pany at st. Peter was fairly organ
lied and properly mustered in. The
men enlisted in the company because
they wanted to. When some polite
ian comes along and stirs up the
community to such pitch that the
Guardsmen are affected. we must
stand firm. The action Of our CONF
manding officers today In ordering B
company into camp Is the only Just
action which they could possibly have
taken" .t. -.
Army officers confidently expected
last night that the order would not
meet with opposition, and that B
company would take its place with
the Fifth infantry at Camp Rosens
wald. s.