Evening star., 1916-12-17
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT Is DOING

Up to the time of the passage of the
bill increasing the enlistment strength
Of the army enlistments
Recruiting were very successful ac-
p.l,:.I- cording to those officials
"oAAeA'y' of the War Department
under whose jurisdiction this work
comes Since that time, however. en-
istments have not been quite so heavy.
1t is said that prior to the enactment
IF this law recruiting service had been
so successful that at times it had been
discontinued and new men were not
accepted at all for some arms OF the
service. When Congress recently pass
ed the new law. however, those stations
which had been closed were re-openeo
and recruiting officers addressed the
population of the districts in whlch
they were operating with special CIR
culars showing the advantages OF army
life and urging all of those qualified to
avail themselves of those advantages.
Taking advantage of all of the pub
,icitv that they could, officials of the
department published a booklet settlns
forth the experiences of recruiting Tor
the army This interesting puollca-
tion was prepared by newspaper re-
as - recruit and was afforded every op-
portunit-- to acquaint himself thoroughly
with the manner in whlch the army Pi e
pares it's soldiers at recruit depots pe-
fore sending them to the1r ois"'lira ,if" ~
tions The author lived the life OF
recruit al the depot, was granted no
indulgences other than those eNtehdeo
to other recruits, and the booklet ~
lates his experiences in a thoiouSh's
unprejudiced manner.
Officials of the department say mat
there has been an increase in the nura-
Der of accepted applicants tor eniist-
ment since the passage OF the plli
ferred to- but it has not been as marx
ed an increase as desired. This. the Of
ficials say. is undoubtedly due 10 SeF-
eral causes. The first ana probably the
principal cause is the present LABOR
condition throughout the country. te-
cruiting officers from all sections nave
reported that never in their experience
has there been the demand for labor IN
all lines of industry that exists ana
that has existed for the past several
months In the large manufacturing
centers the demand for labor is far In
excess of the supply. Wages are hlsh
and all who desire employment readily
secure it. Thus the recruiting SerN-
ice which is simply one of many en-
ployers. has been unable to secure the
recruits needed, just as the nanufac-
turers have not been able to secure all
Of the employees that they want and
can use.
During the course of the crusade for
soldiers Uncle Sans officers did not
lose sight of pointing out to prospec-
tive recruits that various employments
in civil life are open to soldiers who
have availed themselves of the many
opportunities afforded by the army for
vocational training.
The War Department contemp1ates, 1t
is understood. having the recruiting Of
ficers scattered throughout the coun
try in the centers Of population lend
every assistance possible toward Secur
ing for honorably discharged soldiers
employment in civil life in the various
capacities in which they may have been
trained during their stay in the army.
1t is hoped by army officials that the
fact that the government does not lose
interest in the former soldier upon his
discharge from the service, but aids
him in applying in civil life the yoca-
tonal training he acquired in the army
viii go a long way toward convincing
the public that the term OF service in
the army is very desirable expert
eIlce for any young man-an experience
that Will not only aid him physically
and mentally, that viii not only train
hiin morally and manuaily. but that viii
also enable him to advance himself by
reason OF that mental and manual
training in civil life after he shall have
been separated from military service