The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1917-11-30
BULLET PROOF"
JOBS ARE CLOSED
To DRAFTED men
Baker Issues New Ruling Hit
ting the Soft Jobs at
Washington.

WASHINGTON Nov. 3o.-So-called
Stacker commissions" by which men
of draft age seek to escape service in
the ranks and get officers places In
non-combatant branches of the army
have struck snag in two general poll
cies laid down by Secretary Of War
Baker. That there Is large number
of such slackers. projected by political
influence, Is a charge which is becom-
ing more and more persistent.
Mr. Baker, alive to the situation,
has laid down these two general poll
cies for future guidance of his subor-
dinates:
l. Men of draft age shall not be COM
missioned for non-com blatant service
unless it shall be clearly established
that they are better fitted for special
work than available civilians beyond
draft age.
2. Army fun notions that can be per
formed efficiently by civilians shall
not be placed on military footing by
commissioning men needed to do the
work
Shielded by Commissions
The problem OF commissions in the
various staff departments OF the army
that have to do with the supply lines,
transportation, construction and hun.
dred other non-com Blatant functions of
the service is difficult one.
There have been numerous cases of
young men of draft age who have OBJ
tanned commissions aud therefore are
exempt from the selective service law
under which the fighting troops are
being modified.
II fS tho deoirn IF pa
apparently. to keep this element OF
the commissioned personnel of the
army at a minimum in justice to the
great body of drafted men.
The policy is founded on the theory
that there are older men In civil life
we'll fitted for the special duties re
quired, to whom such commissions
could be given, leaving the men oil
draft age to the operations of the law
Mr.. Bakers ruling applies particu
larly to inspection of materials manu-
featured or reduced for the army
of other items. it is held. could be in
spected as well by civilian as by ar
officer.
Police to Aid Draft
Every police official In the countr,
will become a part of the great ma
chine organized for building the ma
tional army, under war department
plans announced today by Provost
Marshal General Crowder. Postal au
thorities also will play an active par
in helping to carry out the new regu
lations and the department believes
that with the aid of these two agen
eies local exemption boards will bt
greatly assisted in registering the mer
and getting them to the training camp.
as they are called.
Postoffice to Give Aid
All the elaborate machinery Of thu
postoffice department will be used tt
see that questionnaires are delivered
TO the men and are returned by then
within the seven days time limit.
Today the following order was sen
to $4,000 postmasters Of the country:
"Postmasters should exercise ever.
effort to make delivery of letters ad
dressed by local or district exemption
boards to registrants under the selec
tive service act and particularly tn,
notices which those boards send II
registrants calling them to places o
entertainment.
Serious consequences ensue to
registrant who fails to respond to thi
latter call, as the law Classics hin
as a deserter, and unless an explana
ton is made he must be dealt with a
such. It Is therefore Of the creates
Importance that postmasters see tina
such notices reach the addresses |
possible"