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Show WIDESPREAD CALL IS ISSUED TO ALL CITIZENS OF U. S. President Issues Orders for Nation to Be Put on War Footing Immediately Twenty Thousand Men Wanted in Navy. WASHINGTON, March 26 Nava recruiting officers throughout the coun try, under orders from President Wil son, today redoubled their efforts t bring the navy up to its full author ized strength of 87.000 enlisted men. Meantime about twelve regiments of national guard troops in various states were reassembling to, act as national police in important districts. Arrangements also were being made to create on May 1 two new military departments on tfye Atlantic coast. Putting Nation on War Footing. All three steps were in accordance with orders issued yesterday by the president to put the nation on a war footing. About. 20,000 men will have to be enrolled en-rolled at once in order to bng the navv up to the required strength. Tho men will be used to man the re serve ships. The creation of tbe two new mill tary departments was ordered as a means of dividing the immense respon sibility now devolving upon the com mander and staff of the eastern department. de-partment. Commanders Are Assigned. Major General Leonard Wood, now in command of the Department of the East, is transferred to the newly created cre-ated Southeastern department, with headquarters at Charleston, S. C , and Major General J. Franklin Bell, in command of the Western department, is transferred to the Eastern department, depart-ment, with headquarters at Goernors Island, N. Y.; Major General Hunter Liggett, in command of tho Depart ment of the Philippines, is transferred to the Western department, with headquarters at San Francisco, and Brigadier General Clarence R. Edwards, Ed-wards, in command of the Department of the Panama canal zone, to the Northeastern department, with headquarters head-quarters at Boston. Major Generals Barry and Pershing will retain command com-mand of the Central and Southern departments, de-partments, respectively. National guard organizations will be nicrnod to guard industrial plants and other property, public or private, in their respective states in case of war. |