Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-04-13
CALL VOLUNTEERS
FOR WAR SERVICE
Half Million Ordered to the
Colors; Term to Expire at
End of Conflict.
CONSUMPTION COMING, TOO
No Compromise on Selective
Compulsion Bill, Asserts
Secretary Baker.

WASHINGTON, April l2.-All me'
cnlisting in the regular army or the
national guard IN the present emer-
scnCV were assured in an anne uace-
mcnt by Secdctary Baker today that
they would he kept ir service only
for the period of the war. The actiOL
followed a conference between the
secretary and President Wilson. In
effect this places. on Il wartime volun-
tccr basis oil of the men enlisted :ince
the sta.e of WIZ was declared. IL
makes available a total of jlbSoS
places in the enlisted grades of the
two services to men who wish to serve
for the war only.
NIr haFer laid stress on the fact
that this action was contemplated
when the administration bill was
framed and WAS in nc way to be con-
struod as a con promise plan, reached
rs 4 result of opposition to the draft
feature Of the bill. 1t has been en-
uhasizcd that the administration war
army hnl is only an emergency meas
ure.
against Modifio alton.
Il st5nd firr " and unaltcrably in
support Of that bill" Secretary Bakcf
said, without modification If its least
detail"
Hearings On the bill continued lie
lOIp Int mouse IllllltdlN commute -
daN and II wa, decided to hear the
last witness Saturday. The admin MS
tration leaders bore to have cons De-
alton IN the house under way hex,
week.
Following a tabulation by the war
department of the forces proposed to
be organized in the bill, so arranged
as to show the exact number OF
volunteers, to serve for the duration
OF the war only, for which provision
is made in both the regular army and
the national guard:
Regular army. exclusive OF
Philippnc scouts. at war strength
with all inCrcmcnts added, 293,-
900.
Present strength 131 .l61.
Volunteers required 16i.ol9.
National guard, Including only
units now organized:
AT war strength 329,914.
Present strength 123,6O5.
Volunteers required 2O6.3i9.
Additional: To replace 10000 Of
ficers and men withdrawn from above
force as training personnel for first
100000 selective conscripts $50, 600.
Total number of volunteers for war
service only. 5l7,S6S.
To Discharge Some.
In addition to these figures the dlS-
charge from the regular army and
national guard of men with depend
ent relatives and for other causes will
create additional vacancies which will
be filled by volunteers.
Under the law the full enlistment
requirement of six years in the ma
tional guard and seven years in the
regular service must be signed by all
men taker into either service. The
pending bill provides specifically for
duration of-the- enlistment con-
tracts, but this cannot be applied until
congress acts. To meet the immediate
situation the secretary has directed
that recruiting officers assure men
accepted during the emergency tina,
the contracts will not be enforced
against them; but that they will be
-honorahly discharged at the close o!
the war.
Army officers believe there will be
no difficulty in obtaining many men
of some military eXerience thru the
present plan. They are vitality nee
essary to the scheme, as from the
commissioned and enlisted ranks OF
the regulars and the guard 10000 or
200,000 men must be drawn within
six months to become officers and
noncommissioned officers of the first
DUU,UUU increment VI tilt SelcCllNd
draft army.
Need Many Officers.
The door of promotion Is wide open
to any man qualified to hold a com
mission, even up to the grade of gen.
eral for the places of the 5000 Of
ficers alone to be withdrawn from
the existing services for training pur-
poses will be filled from the officers
reserve corps, from the ranks or from
the many officers training camps to
be established.
The question of taking in additional
increments of the national guard be-
yond those already organized has not
been determined. There are some
reasons against such a step, since the
result would be merely to increase the
shortage of officers. Every new regi-
ment created means new officers and
with the expansion of the regular SER
vice the capacity of the regular army
to supply this need will be exhausted
During the day the war department
called into the federal service for po-
lice purposes nine regiments, a sep
arate battalion and a separate com
pany of infantry and seven companies
of coast artillery.