"we would prefer to have experienced horsemen, inured to life in the saddle and familiar with firearms...."

EL PASO WILL RECRUIT SQUADRON
FOR COL. ROOSEVELT'S CAVALRY

Chamber of Commerce Acts on Eecommendation of Maj.
Stevenson, R.Y. Burges, Britton Davis and Peyton J.
Edwards, Who Tell of Preliminary Efforts for
Unit in Roosevelt Division.

EL PASO will raise a squadron of cavalry which will be included in the cavalry division to be raised by Col. Theodore Roosevelt throughout the country. All ablebodled men between the ages of 18 and 45 years and who are experienced horsemen, inured to life in the saddle and who are familiar with firearms, are being urged to get into communication at once with Maj. H.E. Stevenson. 614. North Oregon street: R.F. Burges. Two Republics Life building; Britton Davis, 1280 East San Antonio street, or Peyton J. Edwards, 1631 Rampart street, this city.

   These men appeared before the committee on military affairs of the chamber of commerce Saturday morning and asked for the moral support of the chamber in their undertaking. The committee recommended to the board of directors that the chamber of commerce lend every assistance in its power to the end that the required number of men be recruited in El Paso and vicinity for service in the proposed cavalry division.

Director Called for Action.

   A meeting of the board of directors was immediately called to take action on the recommendation of the committee on military affairs. Among the directors present were B.L. Farrar, first vice president, who, in the absence of president John M. Wyatt, acted as chairman of the meeting: Otis C. Coles, second vice president; J.W. Lorentzen, H.M. andreas, Joseph A. Wright, H.Y. Ellis, W.H. Shelton, E.m. Hurd, and J.W. KirkpatricK.

   The meeting was also attended by Maj. H.E. Stevenson, R.F. Burges, Britton Davis. Peyton J. Edwards, Dr. B.M. Worsham and A.P. Coles, W.L. Tooley and U.S. Stewart, of the military committee.

Burges Explains Movement.

   For the benefit of those directors who had not heard the presentation of the case made by Mr. Burges at the meeting of the committee on military affairs, he set forth that Maj. Stevenson, adjutant general of the Texas brigade in the national guard, had been asked by Col. Sloan Simpson, of Dallas, who had been a member of the Roosevelt rough riders in the Spanish American war, to accept a commission in and help organize a regiment for service in the cavalry division, which Col. Roosevelt purposed raising for service in the war with Germany.

No Difficulty in Raising Squadron.

   Mr. Burges said he thought there would be no difficulty in raising at least a squadron of cavalry in El Paso and its immediate vicinity. He asked the endorsement of the chamber of commerce, although he said that it was not expected the regiment would be would be raised from among the members of the chamber, or that the chamber would be required to do any of the work of organizing the proposed cavalry troops further, perhaps, than to direct applicants for enlistment either to his office or the offices of Britton Davis, Peyton J. Edwards or Maj. Stevenson. He set forth, too. that, as far as he was concerned and he thought the same was true of Mr. Davis and Mr. Edwards, that they were not looking for commissions, as the latter would be granted on basis of merit solely.

Stevenson Tells of Effort.

   Maj. Stevenson told of his correspondence with Col. Simpson, as well as with Col. Roosevelt, regarding the organization of a squadron of cavalry at this point and added that he had received a telegram from Col. Roosevelt urging him to say by telegraph whether, in his opinion, the proposed squadron of cavalry could be raised in El Paso. Maj. Stevenson explained that the cavalry to be raised for the Roosevelt division would be in addition to the men required to fill the strength, and to such enlistments for the regular army and the navy as were being accepted at the regularly organized recruiting stations in this city.

Infantry Battalion Expected.

   Maj. Stevenson said he thought El Paso would be called upon to furnish a battalion of infantry under the national defence act. Houston, he said, had been allotted a regiment of infantry, including a machine gun company; Dallas had been called upon to furnish a battery of artillery and a squadron of cavalry; Waco and Fort Worth had been asked to furnish a complete regiment of infantry.

   "El Paso must do its duty in this crisis in the nation's affairs and I haven't the slightest doubt but what it will do it," said Maj. Stevenson. "If It doesn't do it voluntarily. It will be compelled to do it by conscription and I don't believe any El Paso man will want to wait to be drafted into the service when the nation is in peril."

Prefers Experienced Horsemen.

   "In recruiting for the proposed cavalry division, ablebodled men between the ages of 18 and 45 will be accepted," Maj. Stevenson said. we would prefer to have experienced horsemen, inured to life in the saddle and familiar with firearms. This will be purely a [Continued on Page 4, Column 3.] voluntary organization and for that reason it will not be confined to the acceptance of men between the ages of 18 and 25, as is now the case in the call for men to make up the new army. We will not be confined either to El Paso or to El Paso county in securing recruits for the squadron which we purpose enlisting at this point. I have no doubt that men from all over West Texas, New Mexico and Arizona will be found ready and willing to join us, if they only knew we wanted them."

Davis Tells of Men Offering.

   Mr. Davis said that since the appearance of brief announcement in the papers that a squadron of cavalry might be raised here, fully 25 men, cow-punchers. expolicemen and otherWise equipped, just the class of men needed, had called on him to offer their services.

   Mr. Burges said that he. Mr. Turney and his brother had sent telegrams to Alpine. Marfa. San Angelo and other points in west Texas, apprising them of the move on foot here and urging them to spread the news and secure as many enlistments a possible.

Send News to Southwest.

   On motion of Mr. Hurd. seconded by Mr. Andreas, secretary George H. Clements, of the chamber of commerce, was instructed to send telegrams to the secretaries of all commercial bodies throughout the southwest, notifying them of the raising of the squadron of cavalry in El Paso and urging that n all able bodied horsemen. without dependents, be asked to send their names to Maj. Stevenson or to Messrs. Burges, Davis or Edwards.

Barrarcks For Women Granted.

   The secretary announced that he had been requested by the Women's Rifle club of El Paso to be permitted to meet in the chamber of commerce and to store their arms and other equipment in the basement of the chamber of commerce building. On motion of Mr. Shelton, seconded by Mr. Lorentzen, the request was granted.

Worsham Goes to Washington.

   A.P. Coles, chairman of the committee on military affairs, said that his committee had recommended that Dr. B.M. Worsham be sent to Washington to urge El Paso's claims as the location of an aviation camp for the purposes of mobilization of the new army. On motion of Mr. Andreas, seconded by Mr. Hurd, the recommendation was endorsed and the secretary instructed to furnish Mr. Worsham with letters to the secretary of war and to the officers of the chamber of commerce of the United States.

Discharged From Committee.

   On motion of Mr. Andrea's, seconded by Mr. Ellis. W.L. Tooley was relieved from the chairmanship of the committee to find employment for members of company K, upon Mr. Tooley's statement that the mustering into service again of the men had deprived him of any duties along the line indicated.

   Dr. W.L. Brown asked that the chamber of commerce do some publicity work for the Red Cross association and the secretary explained that he had already given the services of Forbes Parkhlll for that purpose.

[El Paso herald, El Paso, Texas, Saturday Evening, April 07, 1917. Home Edition, Pg. 1 & 4]