Sunday, March 25, 1917
Less than one year after they were sent to the U.S.-Mexico border, the Second New York National Guard Infantry regiment, including Saratoga County’s Company L, has been called to federal service as the nation moves closer to war with Germany.
The U.S. war department calls a total of eleven regiments from nine states and the District of Columbia into service. Secretary of War Newton D. Baker telegrams Governor Charles S. Whitman of New York this afternoon to order the mobilization of the Second and Seventy-first regiments, “regarded as the two crack regiments of the New York National Guard.”
Without releasing the text of Baker’s telegram, the governor makes public his reply: “In accordance with your telegram just received I have directed the adjutant general to assemble the Second and Seventy-first New York infantry at the places to be designated to me by the commanding general, eastern department.”
Word reaches the Saratoga Springs armory later this afternoon. “Before 3 o’clock the word was verified by the receipt of the order calling upon the members of the company to assemble at the armory at 9 o’clock in the morning,” The Saratogian reports.
“Non-commissioned officers were located at once and they in turn started the work of rounding up the members of their squads and notifying them to be on hand for roll call in the morning.”
The Second regiment was called to border-patrol duty last June in support of a punitive expedition into Mexico against the insurgent warlord Pancho Villa. Company L returned to Saratoga Springs last September. The company’s current strength is 74 men, not counting 31 on the reserve list.
President Woodrow Wilson is expected to ask Congress for a declaration of war against Germany when a special session convenes on April 2. The U.S. broke off diplomatic relations with Germany in February to protest the resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare against merchant ships bound for Germany’s enemies, France and Great Britain. U.S. merchant ships are under instructions to fire on submarines if threatened in the Atlantic.
CHANGE OF SEASONS
The Saratoga County sporting changes seasons this weekend. One day after the final game of Saratoga Springs High School’s basketball season, the Woodlawn Oval diamond hosts the first baseball game of the year.
The Rock Stars and the “No. 2” team open the local season on a “soggy diamond,” but The Saratogian reports that the opener was “well played despite the handicap.” The Rock Stars lead 3-0 after three innings, but No. 2 pulls ahead to lead 5-4 after five. A three-run seventh makes the difference in the Stars’ 8-6 victory.