Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-08-13
THE RECRUITING OFFICE
By Frederic J. Haskin
THAT the first love of the men in |
the ranks is fight is indicat-

THAT the first love of the men in
the ranks is fight is indicat-
ed by the influence of foreign
affairs upon enlistments in the mill
tary services of the United States. Re-
cent reports of the war and navy de-
partments show that recruiting Is
greatly increased after the Mexican
trouble reached its climax in the
Spring of 1914, and this increase has
been steadily maintained since trouble
arose in Europe. War abroad has ap-
parently turned the thoughts of Am
orleans to the possibility of war at
home, and recruits are plentiful when
there seems a chance for active SER
vice.
At the present moment 1t is practic-
| ally impossible for any one to enter
| the navy-not because men are not
needed on the battleships. destroyers
and submarines which guard our
cif1ed the number of sailors who may
sign under Uncle Sam and the lists
have been full for nearly a year.
Navy Has waiting List
At present, therefore, the United
States navy is in the enviable position
of having a waiting list" of men who
want to serve the flag, even though
there is a decided shortage of men
aboard ships for actual fighting. Eff
forts will be made to induce congress,
at the next session, to increase the
number of enlistments which the navy
may legally accept and thus make 1t
possible to bring this branch of the
service up to its full necessary
strength
The condition of the army is not
quite as fortunate as that of the navy
| I-possibly because of the superior at
| fractions in the manner of life and in
travel offered with the fleet. But,
even so. the rate of enlistments in the
army have increased some 20 per cent.
since the fiag-saluting incident at Tam
pico. Just as the impetus given by
this occurrence was commencing to
die down, the European war began,
and it brought home the fact that the
| United States needed more men to
guard her shores in case of conflict
This also stimulated enlistment and
discourage desertion-the one having
Increased and the other decreased ma
Iterially in the past year. Uncle Sam
does not believe in supporting huge
lstanding armies, as are favored
abroad, but he trains his men to the
minute and every man, who has en-
listed within the past year is in a con-
dition to give a good account of him
lself in the event Of war.
Improvement Recently
Some years ago the army and navy
were not in such good shape with re-
gard to numbers as they are at pres
ent, and the authorities at Washington
cast about for a means of stimulating
enlistments To this end they con-
suited g. number of efficiency experts,
all of whom mentioned the old maxim,
1T pays to advertise" So Uncle Sam
entered the ranks of advertisers In
newspapers and magazines, by means
of posters and even through the me-
4 dium of moving pictures, he exhibited
the alluring life of soldier or sailor
or marine. The results were most
preparation for advertising is still con-
siderable.
Gaily colored posters are to be
found in nearly every post Office, de-
Ipicting the joys OF a life on the ocean
wave or the fascinattons of a soldiers
Icareer. These posters direct the ap-
Iplicant to the nearest recruiting office,
where he finds officers who tell him
of the duties of a soldier or sailor, the
lpay they receive, the chances for pro-
motion and the many advantages to be
found in serving the flag. Exclusive
Iof those rejected because of physical
disabilities, it is estimated that fully
so per cent. of the men who seriously
Iapply for information concerning the
military service enlist for at least one
lperiod. All of which speaks we'll for
1.-THE persuasive abilities of the recruit
ling officers.
In the Recruiting Office
But the recruiting office is far from
being coloriess or without its share of
the romantic. Men come there from
Iall walks OF life-the gay young blood