Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-02-29
MAJOR FRANCIS H. FARNuM

Officers Association of the United
| States was formed Thursday night at
! the Augusta House following a BAN
quet attended by about 40 officers hold
! ing commissions in the organized re-
| serve. over 80 signified therfintention
| of becoming members of the asSocia-
ton, and the following officers We're
| elected: President, Major Francis H.
| Farnum Of Augusta: vice president,
Major William J. Young of Waterville:
secretary, Lieut.. Almon b. Sullivan Of
Augusta; treasurer, Capt. Emery Q.
Beane of Augusta. The officers elected
| were appointed by vote of those present
| as a committee to look into the matter
| of bylaws for the chapter.
| Major Edward J. Quinn of Portland.
| president of the State organization.
| was present at the meeting and ex-
| planned something OF the work being
done by the organization in Portland.
| He stated that the one i'll Portland has
been going for some time and that it
is the plan to have one in Augusta and
another in Bangor
| Major Paul Murray of Manchester
n. H.. of the regular army, in charge
of plans and training for the 9th
| Division, and Major c. H. Mason of
| Concord, n. H.. executive officer of the
| Concord area of the 9th Division,
We're present at this meeting and spoke
| to the men on the work OF the organ
| lied reserve.
Major Mason in his talk spoke of the
| national defence act of 1920. He said
that since the war it has been a rec
ognized fact that the citizens of the
| country are the ones that must bear
| the brunt of the war and the ones that
must win it. in the field as we'll as at
| t. tot, n
| regular army that would be adequate
| for field service, and it is necessary to
| have the citizens go into the field.
In Revolutionary times this was
easily done. The men could unhitch
| their horses from the pillow, seize
| their rifles and go. But conditions
today are vastly different. Special
| instruction is needed before a soldier
can go into battle. else he will be at
a great disadvantage. And he must
| have competent officers 10 direct his
efforts.
| That is where the reserve officers
| come in. They are men who have
had previous service and are well
versed in the technique of war. They
are organized in times of peace and
form a skeleton organization about
which a fi-hting unit may quickly
be built up in time of war. through
the addition of drafted men.
Major Mason declared that with
the organization about Is percent
perfected, the officers for the citizens
army are about where they We're in
October, 1917. or in other words,
with the officers already organized,
the time from April to October.
which it took to get the required Of
fcers trained before the organiza-
, tions could be filled up with enlist
ed men fer service in the war, has
been saved. He declared that while
this organiZa ton was functiOninG i'll
its present state of efficiency, it
' would serve as effective insurance
against entertainment upon our
rights by foreign nations.
There are three classes into which
these officers are divided according
to their special training. The first
and largest group is the territorial
assignment group, which consists
of officers assigned to duty with or
CARNATIONS which have been allo-
Gated to the territory in which they
are resident The second group con-
SiStS of officers who are reserved for
special duty with the various branch
eS of the service. Lastly comes
smaller number known as the gen
eral assignment group. who because
for special duty under direction of
the war department.
While this army is being put into
condition so that il can function prop
erly. tho small regular army and the
National Guard must hold the enemy in
check Until such time as the citi-
zens' army, with its officers who have
been members of the organized reserve.
can got into action. the country has
simply been protecting itself and the
war has not.really begun. From that
time on il is a question of the Gilt
cheney of the newly orgauized army.
The rapidtv with which men who
have served in tie World War become
incapable of again entering the service
because of advancing age and other
conditions. was shown by figures quot
ed by the speaker.
Major Murray then spoke. lie gave
much interesting information of the
work being done by the war depart
mont to prepare for any national emer-
concv. He spoke of the plans that
have been formulated by the 9th Di-
vision so that they might function
properly in such an event. and Of the
plans now teinG mapped out by the
various COMPANY commanders SO that
in event Of such an emergency every
what to expect and what 10 do imme-
diatc1y.
Adiutnnt General James w. Hanson
was then called upon and explained to
The men something Of the work which
has been taken UP at the officers tao
tical schools He invited any or all
of them to be present at future schools
or to attend the drills of local COM
ranies or the officers school which is
to he held in June at the Muster field
Major Quinn was the last speaker
and interspersing his talk with several
humorous stories. he spoke Of the OBJ
ject Of the organization ard of the
way this object was being attained.
Captain Potts Of the regular army,
stationed in this city to help in he or
ganization of the reserve. and - strong
advocate of the formation of reserve
officers association. acted as toastmas-
ter in most acceptable manner.
Those present were: Col. I. L. Hur-
seeker, Bangor; Maj. Edward J. Quinn,
! Portland; Maj. Paul Murray, Man.
chester. y. H.: Capt. z. J. Potts. Au-
gusta; General J. W. Hanson. Au-
gusta; General Albert Greenlaw, Au-
guusta: Capt. Albert Christie. Ban
gor; Capt, Robt. w. Lowell. Augusta:
Lieut. NJ. ]. McDermott, Gardiner; 1t.
Roscoe y. Given, Augusta: Mai. c. F.
Kendall, Augusta: Capt Il. l.. Mckay,
Augusta: Capt. E. c. Goodwin, Au-
gusta; Capt c. NJ. Adams, Augusta;
1t. II. d. Cook. Gardiner: 1t r. WIZ
lis, Augusta; Capt. j. F. Choate, Wa