Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1922-09-14
CITIZENS BACK
MILITARY UNITS
MASS MEETING ATTENDED
BY MANY-GEN. @.
HOLWAY THERE

or WauSau representative citizens,
urging upon them the necessity of get
ting back of the local military COM
pany to promote attendance at drill
and to stimulate recruiting, the coun-
Gil chamber last Friday evening was
nearly filled with citizens from all
walks of life That Company G, 12Sth
Infantry, is needed by the whole COM
munity was proved by the interest
taken by many men who served in its
ranks in former years. l.. A. Pradt
gave a talk on his experiences as a
member, when the prize was won by
the company for being the best drilled
national guard company, and for hav-
ing as one of its members the best
drilled individual soldier in the Unit
ed states-Edward Fitzgerald,
Judge A. H. Reid was elected chair
man of the meeting. Capt. f. r. Beck
er, commanding the company, gave
his reasons for calling the meeting,
in which he said that nearly so per
cent of the enlistments would expire
within short time, and that some
thing must be done to gain recruits
to take their place. The maxim, am
strength for an infantry company,
authorized by the federal government
is SO men, and as there are only Sc
men on the roster at present. only one
above the minimum strength, by
which they are entitled to federal aid
Company G could not continue to ex-
ist, unless the strength is brought up
10 a figure which would offset the
forty odd men whose time will ex-
pire shortly.
Judge Reid then called upon sew
eral citizens who spoke in favor of
giving all the help that was possi-
BILE. A committee composed of F.. r.
Becker, George Drake, l.. A. Pradt
and others, was appointed to draft up
some plan of action, and after a short
conference, reported to the meeting
with the suggestion that committee
,of Is, composed of M. p. Mccullough,
chairman, T. H. Ryan, ID. C. Everest,
Otto Mueller, J. M. Lull, w. B. Heine-
mann, Fred r. Becker, Patrick T.
Stone, R. E. Puchner, O. C. Belanger,
L. A. Pradt, Sr., Wesley Single, E. C.
Dawley, C. C. Yawkey, o. C. Lemke,
Mrs. G. II Ingraham, Miss Antionette
Huntington and Mrs. Del Curtis, be
authorized to draw up plans for a
permanent organization, the purpose
of which would be to help the COM
| pany in every way possible.
The 128th Infantry band rendered
several numbers, among which was
| the Thirty-second division march
| While it was being played all of the
| service men in the room stood at at
tentiOn. Soon the rest, who did not
| know the number, rose uncertain as
to what it was all about, and the band
| finished with every one standing up.
| After they had finished it was ex-
| planned that the piece was dedicated
to the men OF Wisconsin who fell in
| France. Out of respect for our own
| dead, every man who wore a uniform
| in the service was to stand, uncovered,
at attention, until it was finished.
Major F. l.. Gottschalk was called
upon for few words, and in his
| talk, he said that too many employers
| did not let their men know that they
approved of them enlisting in the
company. He thought, he said, "that
the employer should seek out his man
| who had signed up and tell him that
he was glad that he had joined"
c. HI. Ingraham said that he had
| heard persistent rumors to the ef-
| feet that men who enlisted were be-
| ing discharged from their places of
employment, and that would like to
see the matter thrashed out at the
meeting, and asked that some one
speak up who could aay something
definite upon the sub ject Major
| Gottschalk then said tllat two men,
both employed by a local company
had lost their jobs, one of them be-
ing laid off for an indefinite time and
the other resigning in order to attend
the 'wo weeks encampment. This
sta .ement was denied by the manage
ment the next day, which said that
the concern had never discouraged
enlistments, and that it had always
backed up the company. Capt Rogers,
U. S. A, then gave talk, in which he
said that the national defense act,
created and enacted by congress,
placed the national guard in the first
line OF defense, along with the regu-
lar army.
General Orlando Holway was the
principal speaker for the evening. He
said that he was not afraid but what
the company would be brought up to
full strength, and that not ninety
three, but twice ninety-three men,
should be in the military service in a
community of this size. He also gave
many examples OF what the guard had
been used for, among them being large
fires, earthquakes where the police
force was unable to cope with, thieves
and other criminals who took advant-
age of such calamity. Floods, too.
called for the protection and help OF
the guard.
General Holway was a member OF
Company @ in light guard days in the
eighties and his presence Friday
night was an inspiration and help
TO citizens who want to see the in
terests Of the organization furthered.
Addresses were made by other per-
sons. among them Captain Rogers, OF
the .. s. army. who is stationed here
as an instructor. Claude Roberts,
past commander OF Burns post and a
member of Company @ for nine years,
described retreat and his sincere love
OF that beautiful ceremony made a
lasting impression upon those present.
I carara1