Evening star., 1940-10-27
Recruiting to Stop
When Called Into Service
Units Must Get Their Additions
Prior to Mobilization Day

National Guard units will have to
do their recruiting for full allowed
strength prior to the time they are
indicted into the Federal service,
according to instructions received
at District brigade headquarters
from the War Department. Unit
commanders had expected they
would be allowed to enlist men in
the National Guard Of the United
States to bring their organizations
up to what is known as peace
strength after they were inducted
into the service, and while waiting
In their armories for movement to
the ultimate point of training,
which, in the case of the local Guard
is to be Fort George G. Meade, Md.
No enlistments for the one-year
period will be allowed, this having
been halted on the day Of registra-
ton.
Not a few of the units are being
reduced by the application OF men
for discharges because of dependents
and for other reasons. and it is
probable that some of the Govern
ment employees, in the Guard, may
be discharged because they fill posi-
tions in the Government civil
agencies considered essential to the
promotion of the national defense.
Recruiting instructions specify that
no man. between the ages Of 81 and
36, will be accepted for enlistment
who has not registered for selective
training. Guard recruiting officers
have been instructed to refer any
person applying for enlistment who
does not have a registration card
to his local board. and the local
board is to be notified of the fact by
the recruiting oflcer. The board
must clear the man before he can be
accepted for enlistment.
The instructions further provide
that each recruiting oficer, who
enlists a man within the registration
ages, must notify the local board
having jurisdiction over the man OF
the fact that he has enlisted. This
notification must be furnished in
order to protect the enlisted man
against being dropped by his local
board as a deserter.
Tn order to be certain that all
men of military service age, VINO are
members of the National Guard. are
accounted for if they leave the serv-
ice. special plans have been formu-
lated to keep track Of them, accord
ing to local brigade headquarters.
When a man is discharged from the
Guard or even is transferred to the
inactive list, his application for q
discharge must contain his present
address. This, it was explained, Is
to provide information which the
Guard must furnish to the local
boards.
The question was presented to
brigade headquarters OF what status
would be taken by members OF the
Guard who were not required to reg
lister on the day set because they
they are members Of military unit,
who after the drawing were dis
charged from the Guard. 1t would
leave them without selective serv-
ice number, it was suggested. Officers
point out that men who now are
getting discharges are on deferred
list, that is they are being discharged
because Of dependents or for other
valid reasons which would obtain
for them a deferred status under
the draft.
If these men leave the Guard and
then go to the local boards and reg
lister, then they probably would be
given the last number Of the board
in which they register, and If that
number had been called in the draw
ing then the man would be called
for service, subject to examination
as to any reasons for deferment.
But he would have to 60 through all
of the procedure of man who reg
istered the first time without any
claim for military service.
In this connection it was said that
Brig. Gen. Albert L. Cox, command
ing the local militia brigade and
selective service ofncer here, is con-
sidering q plan of issuing some
means Of identification to members
of the Guard. It was pointed out
that being in the military service
they were not required to register,
and therefore have no means of
identification. They cannot show q
selective service card. II any Of
them, while In the course Of their
civilian work are questioned as to
their registration, they would have
no proof that they were members Of
the Guard.
Col. Oliver s. Wood, U. s. infan-
try, has reported for duty here as
senior Army instructor. In addition
to his other duties, he has been as
signed by the commanding general
of the Sd Army Corps Area as in
structor of the following units: State
Staff Corps, headquarters 10Th Di-
vision; headquarters detachment,
10Th Division; special troops, 10Th
Division, and the headquarters COM
pany. 372d Infantry.
Maj. Sidney Morgan, Corps Of En-
gineers, assigned to the inspector