The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1917-02-17
OUR ARMY FORCES
Defense Council Figures We Can
Raise 4,778,050.
ARE FIT FOR MILITARY DUTY.
Still Greater Number Might Be Put
Under Arms In Emergency by Re-
cruiting Older Men, Lowering of
Physical Standards and Placing Wo-
men in Mems Jobs.

men IN Mens Jops,
New York.-An army Of 4,77S,0Jo Of
men between eighteen and forty-fiye
years old fit for military service Is
available in this country, according TO
| the estimate of an investigating staff
of the executive committee OF the may
ors committee on national defense.
\ still greater number might be put
under arms in serious emergency, ac-
cording TO the committees report, by
the recruiting of older men, by the
lowering OF physical standards and by
the employment Of women In occupa
tions now open only to men.
The task Of estimating the total re
sources OF the nation in men available
for military service between the ages
of eighteen anL forty-hye. inclusive, is
complex. For into this calculation
there enter many uncertain factors. In
addition TO the morbidity rate and the
| physical rejection rate there is TO be
considered the dependency of families
and the need Of men of mature years
I in the business and industry Of the
country.
/ In 1910 the males from eighteen to
/ torty-fiye years old in the United States
numberp 2l.071 ,07G. Although approx
imateIy 10000 were aliens ana there.
] fore ineligible for military service the
officials of the census bureau consider
that the increase IN population be
! a, - 1r
has about compensated for these
Through IA deduction of 2ia per cent
! for morbidity. the total Of 21011.07G
becomes 20.54 1900, and through IA de
duction Of about 1914 per cent for phys
ical defects there Is further reduction
to 1s,OO7.Os0
The census tables showing the mum
Der OF men in various occupations
farmers. factory workers, miners,
physicians. lawyers. railroad employ
ees, clerks. public officials and so on
have been carefully examined, and the
effort has been made to reach an ap-
proximate estimate Of the number that
could be spared for military duty I'm Il
serious emergency This leads 10 tn
estimate that l7,60600O out of the 80,
091 .5G4 employed. or 5S5 per cent.
could be brought into service If needed
And this percentage applied to the Is,
O07 .0SO physically fit between eighteen
and forty-fiye years old gives 1885.
$40.
Still unconsidered, however. is mar.
ital condition or dependency. Though
unmarried men have dependents there
are married men who are in such cir
i eumstances that they can do military
service without imposing hardship
upon their families How nearly the
latter come to offsetting the former
cannot be stated even approximately
In this calculation all the single wild
owed, and divorced men are assumed
TO be available and all the married
men unavailable.
OF the q .071 .076 men from eighteen
to forty-five years old 4535 per cent
are single widowed or divorced (43.3d
per cent being single). II this percent
age be applied TO the lO,535, ,040-the
figure arrived at after deductions for
sickness. physical defects and indus
trial necessities-the number available
for service becomes 477s.050. or - !
per cent of the entire number of males
from eighteen to forty-fve This Is
about one out Of five.
In the attempts to estimate ma
tion's human military resources II has
been borne in mind that the result de
pends upon highly elastic factors
Upon the seriousness OF the emergency
which faces nation must depend In q
great degree the proportion of exemp
tions from military duty.
The executive committee is composed
Of Willard Straight, chairman; Cleve
land Ii. Dodge. William ID. Dykman
Major Francis G. Landon. John Mitch
ell, George w. Perkins. exSecretary OF
War Henry l.. Stimson, Alfred T.
Smith and Alexander NJ White.