New-York tribune., 1908-01-26
UNEMPLOYED JOIN ARMY
RECRUITS FLOCKING IN.
officers Report That Al Records
Since the Var Haze Been Broken.

Since the Var Haze Been Broken.
| turned away from the United States army re-
cruting stations in this city since it be-
came filed with unemployed. two months ago.
| OF this number every recruiting station is 50
| rapidly enlisting men for the army that the for
mer records increased 300 per At no
| time since the has the rush to recruiting
| stations been SO great, and while only a small
| percentage of those applying for enlistment are
! accepted the officers in charge of the stations
declare that it would be possible to accept twice
the number of enlisted if some of the
minor defects overlooked
| The ma jority OF the who entering the
army after weeks of unemployment are former
! cashiers clerks and mechanics, and are well
! educated At the same time hundreds of for
! egners have made application to join the army.
but We're refused because of their inability TO
! speak the English language properly, while de
! fective eyesight ard hearing have barred many
! more from the ranks.
! Since the rush on the recruiting stations be-
| gan the officers III charge have kept the require
ments to enter the service stringent that only
/ a few were allowed to be passed to the head
| quarters of the recruiting service at Fort
| Slocum. Davids island. Here the men
! again examined. and in many cases have been
! found with defects which disqualified them be
! fore they were finally allowed to sign enlistment
papers
At the recruiting station No. 141 Park Row,
which is branch of Ma Jor W. l. kenly's head
quarters at No 40 Sixth avenue. 2lI men have
been accepted since January !. while two hun
dred men were entered from the station in De-
cember. The record for the months OF last
year is on an average of one recruit day, and
according TO the sergeant in charge it was diff
cult to get the thirty men in a month.
or the recruits sent from the Park Row
branch TO Fort SOcum. nearly all finally
accepted. In the elimination process adopted by
the officers in charge of the local stations more
than six hundred men were examined this
month, while more than that number applied for
admission the army last year and were re-
fused on account of disease underweght.
scores or unemployed who declared that they
mad been unable 10 get work for several weeks
after they came here from outside cities applied
{" the recruiting officer yesterday but in most
cases the men had had little to eat that they
were declared UNIT for the service and were re
fused. In nearly all cases the men appeared 10
be OF the better class and were well dressed al
though they had been forced To pawn their over
coats and whatever extra clothes they had
In the main office in charge OF Colonel f. f.
Hardin. at No. ~ Third avenue it was said
that nearly two hundred and nifty men have
been picked from seven hundred applicants for
the army. These men were characterized as
able bodied and of good habits as their recon-
mendations In most cases showed that they had
worked in commercial houses for long periods
and had been discharged because OF lack OF
work At this station il was estimated that
at least half of the applicants we're Rumanians
while the nationality of the others was mostly
given as American. English and French, with
a large percentage of Germans.
Reports from the branch office at No 1862
Third avenue showed an increase OF 200 per cent
over last year 1t said that forty-fve men
We're received here. At No. 9ti2 Third avenue
the number Of recruits was placed at twenty
i've for this month. while il was said that last
year the branch could not have had more than
ten In a month. A similar condition was
explained ny the officer in charge of the branch
office No. 30S East 3+th street. where forty
men have been received since Christmas
While these numbers appear low. IL was ex-
planned by tho recruiting officer yesterday that
every station has turned away from FIVE hundred
to eight hundred men since December and that
many more men could be accepted if the enlist
ment conditions were not rigidly observed. |
Only the best men are selected for the army. |
and unless they can pass the physicians exam |
inatou they regarded being unfit.
Besides these nine stations. recruiting bureau |
is maintained at Governors Island and three |
enlistment places in charge OF lieutenant colo
mel are in Brooklyn The enlistment at these
places has not increased more than half over
last year The Governors Island Office is for
cavalry enIIstments and the men are at once
taken in the service while the accepted men at
the other Offices sent to Majcr Coyle. who is
in charge of the enlistment service OF this divs
ion. Recruits for the navy are sent to the near
est navy yard and from there to Newport News.
y here they are finally accepted. The enlist |
nents in this branch OF the United States ser
vice are not greatly increased, although it was
said that the reports for December and Jan
nary have not yet been made.
Men who have been employed electricians
md hostlers are either sent TO the artillery
branch or to the cavalry for service, while 9th
RS are detailed TO the infantry. OF the eight
ion at No 74s Sixth avenue yesterday, three
declared that they had been bookkeepers and
,ad been out of work since December. The ,
Of the recruiting system, IL said !
esterday led many vagrants to take advantage |
f the food and lodging. which sometimes
xtended several days. close watch is being
ept the applicants and they escorted
D the main station under guard that they
an be released only account of disability or
t their own appeal. when their names noted
or future references