The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1917-07-06
SIXTY THOUSAND VOLUNTEERS
ARE WANTED TO FILL
RANKS OF REGULARS.
JULY IS is THE LIMIT DATE
Army Officials Hope Decline In Re-
cruitinu After Registration Means
Men Understand There 10 No Dis
Grace Attached to CONSUMPTION.
Nv EDWARD q, CLARK.

1
experts. There was no war Depart
ment man but thought that as soon as
registration day was over the rush to
enlist in the regular service would be
so great that weeks time only would
be necessary to secure the young
Americans needed for the regular es-
| tablishment.
About 10000 are needed to briNg the
regulars to war strength. 1t LIZ Saown
that the officials hold no strong hope
| that all the men needed can be Sc
cured by July Is, but there will be con-
| tentment If, in existing circumstances,
10000 men can be enlisted for the In
fantry and 5000 for the artillery with
| in the limits of the time fixed. Army
officers and many civilians with them
all over the country, with the approval
of Washington, are driving to secure
recruits for the regular army.
Things have gone counter to expec-
tation. Recruiting fell off after regis
tration day and in one way the army
officers think the falling off signifies
something worth while. The first
thought in the matter was that re-
cruits would rush to the regular army
because they desired to avoid being
known as conscripts. The heart de-
sire of the war department has been
to take from CONSUMPTION everything
suggestive of compulsory service.
Every effort has been made to let the
young men know that they would be
held in as high honor under the selec-
tive plan as always has been the case
under the volunteering system.
No Disgrace In CONSUMPTION.
Army officers believe now that young
America has given over the idea that
the new national army Is to be looked
on as conscript army after the man.
ner in which drafted men Of the past
were viewed by the general public. II
the decrease in the numbers Of men
applying for service In the regular
army is due to the fact that no longer
is CONSUMPTION regarded as once 1t
was, the army officials will be not only
satisfied but grateful.
Recruiting for the regular army, 1t
is believed here, was Quickened at the
first by the belief of the applicants
that they would see first service in
France. Now there seems to be feel
ing that the regiments which first were
brought up to war strength will be the
first to go and that the regiments
which are to be filed by the recruits
of this and next month will not get to
the front much more quickly than men
Of the National Guard, while some of
them may be held until the first Or
CARNATIONS Of the new national army
which show themselves ready for serv-
ice are sent abroad under convoy.
Army men say that there never was
such an army in personnel as that
which the country will have when the
recruiting Is completed. Men who
have applied for service have In the
main been of high type, physically
and mentally. They have shown in
the training camps a pride In their
work and patriotic spirit which
knows no firing.
Recruits Of High Grade.
The regular recruits do not have to
be reused to the work, for they had
reused themselves before they went to
the enrolling offices. They are taking
hold Of the thing readily. Their intel
ligence is high and it is directed to the
best ends by each of the enlisted ones.
If by July Is the necessary 283 900, or
thereabouts, men are not secured for
the service the rest will be taken in
by the drafting operations. 1t is not
believed, however, that the regular
service will contain more than 8 or 4
per cent Of drafted men. IA
Recruits for the regular army are
being given an opportunity to express
their preference concerning the branch
in which they would like to serve. It
Is impossible to put all men where
they would like to be, but many of
them, especially those who show
marked aptitude for certain lines Of
work, are being sent to the artillery or
the cavalry, or to the other branches
for which they seem best fitted.
The infantry, of course, still will he
the backbone of the American armv
although this Is known as an artillery
and an engineering war. The infantry
man today, however, is not like the in
fantryman of old. He must learn LOT
of new tricks and some of them arc of
the spectacular kind which, in train
ing at any rate, appeals to the athletic
youngster.
By mid-July, or certainly shortly
thereafter, Uncle Sam will have a ROO
ular army Of nearly 100000. In the
year 1891 at Pine Ridge s. D., there
were gathered together about 1aOoo
men of the regular army. AT that
time it was freely predicted, for such
was the good cheer concerning last.
ing peace in the world, that II was
likely that never again would there
come together such an "army" of rnou-
lars of the American service. sevon
years thereafter came the Snao,sh
American war, and now has come tho
greatest war Of all time. When army
officers spoke of an army 20 years 400
they were thinking of a fau, th