Evening star., 1925-07-05
ARMY. SPRINGS UP
AS NATION UNITES
IN DEFENSE TEST
Full War Strength Exceeded
by Rush of Volunteers for
0ne-Day Service.
MILLIONS PARTICIPATE
IN PATRIOTIC PROGRAMS
Registration Less Than Last
Years, But Hurried Plans Are
Believed to Have Been Cause.

Washington and the Nation def
nitely demonstrated yesterday that
should a sudden emergency arise over
night enough volunteers would leap to
arms TO recruit Americas established
military forces to full wartime
strength between dusk and dawn.
Although reports to the War De-
partment from the nine Army corps
areas indicate that one-day volunteer
enlistments probably would fail to
equal the totals of last September. the
second national defense test muster
has clearly shown a general patriotic
response throughout the country.
In Washington 1854 civilian volun-
teers signed the roster and theoreti-
cally became soldiers for the day.
This was more than enough TO bring
the regular, reserve and National
Guard battalions stationed within the
district of Washington up to their
war basis, and in other cities similar
conditions prevailed.
Everywhere the national defense
test became the outstanding feature
of Fourth of July programs. Al
though the National Capital went
ahead with its usual independence
day celebrations and athletic contests,
in each instance the programs shared
interest with the muster being taken
all over the country.
Plans Were Hurried.
Associated Press dispatches from
headquarters of each of the nine
Army corps areas show that millions
of patriotic Americans actually par
ticipated in dual Independence and
Defense day celebrations, but officers
of the General STAFF here steadfastly
held TO their first decision to count
only those volunteers who had gone
to the official recruiting places and
actually signed their names as avail
able.
War Department officials and
Army leaders are not surprised that
enrollments yesterday fell short of
those of the first national defense
test, which were slightly in excess of
100000. 1t was pointed out that
there was little time TO prepare for
yesterdays muster and that it was
called at a time when thousands of
persons were on vacations.
The officials in charge of the mus
ter are quite satisfied with the result,
and although they cannot as yet esti-
mate its actual military value, they
believe 1t will show the National
Guard and skeleton reserve regiments
everywhere far better prepared to OBJ
tain their wartime quotas in less
time than previous to the first de-
fense muster. At that time danger
Gus lack of recruiting machinery was
disclosed. despite the larger number
OF enrollments obtained.
District Exceeds Needs.
Washington needed total of II 900
men to put the military units within
its jurisdiction on war basis This
figure included, of course, all men, in
Guiding those already in the service.
Brig. Gen. Samuel Rockenbach, COM
mander of this district, reported re-
! sponses to the muster of yesterday, IS
follows:
| Regular Army. officers and men,
! 1888; National Guard. officers and
men, COZ; Organized Reserve, COM
/ posed of officers only, 1924; civilian
one-day volunteers, 1854, making
| total of 1853. or 6S8 more than
enough to fill peace-time gaps. Most
of the regular troops ordinarily sta
toned here are away at training
camps, or these figures would be much
| larger, it was said.
$4,000 Spectators.
| 1t is estimated about 25 900 persons
! participated as spectators in the three
main Fourth of July events. in which
| the Army, Navy and Marine Corps
assisted here. They were divided as
| follows: $500 at Boiling Field, 5000
at Takoma Park and 10000 at Central
| High School Stadium. At least as
many more are believed to have at
tended the various other celebrations.
! In New York the number of persons
attending patriotic celebrations totaled
more than half a million, and Chicago
| tripled those figures.
Although Associated Press dis
| patches from Atlanta, headquarters
| of the 4th Corps Area, said that
| a million persons had ATTENDED cele-
brations in that area during the day,
| no figures as to the actual number of
| enrollments of volunteers were OBJ
tainable. With figures for this area
missing, totals reported by the eight
areas were:
Regular Army. S1,0S9 compared
with 1851 last September; National
Guard, 110,149, compared with 167.-
| 633; Organized Reserves, 6,636, COM
| pared with 59,16S: one-day volunteer
! enrollments, 628, ,090. compared with
figure in excess of one million.
Program Given by Radio.
| At the time of the first test it was
estimated that more than 16 ,000,0
/ citizens participated as spectators or
| otherwise in all ceremonies incident to
! the test, according to the Associated
| Press. In today's muster patriotic ex-
| ercises were combined with local
| Fourth of July celebrations and the
| instructions sent to corps area COM
manders directed that they give spe-
| cial attention to these assemblies.
While the War Department was tab
| ulating reports from the nine areas
| last night. Acting Secretary Davis.
! Gen. Pershing and Maj. Gen. Hines,
chief OF staff, gathered in a room In
the department which was connected
by telephone with New York and Chi
cago and the rest Of the world by
about 80 major radio stations over the
! country.
In his dual capacity as presiding
officer of the Senate and as a briga.
dier general in the Organized Re
serves, Vice President Dawes was at
| the Chicago end of the line with Mai.
Gen. Hale, commanding the 9Th Corps
Area, and in New York, President w.
S. Clifford of the American Telephone
and Telegraph Co., which conducted
the phone and radio mobilization,
headed the group of speakers at the
| I'd Corps Area headquarters.
Secretary Davis took George Wash
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