The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1917-04-19
OFFER RELEASE AT END or
WAR.
Places for ST., 1893 Men Open Now
for Period Of War Only
Baker Says.
MANY OFFICERS NEEDED
Door to Promotion is Wide Open,
With Way to Generals
Rank Possible for Any
Man.

Rank Possible for Any
: Man.
Washington, April 16.-All men
enlisting in the regular army or,
the national guard in the present
emergency are assured in an an
nouncement by Secretary Baker
that they will be kept in service
only for the period of the war.
The action followed a conference
between the secretary and Presi-
dent Wilson. In effect this places
on wartime volunteer basis all
of the men enlisted since the state
of war was declared. 1t makes
available total of 517, 1868 places
in the enlisted grades of the two
services to men who wish to serve
for the war only.
Mr.. Baker laid stress on the fact
that this action was contemplate
ed when the administration bill
was framed and was in no way to
be construed as compromise
plan, reached as a result of oppo-
sition to the draft feature of the
bill. 1t has been emphasized that
the administration war army bill
is only an emergency measure.
81 stand firmly and unalterab-
ly in support Of that bill," Secre-
tary Baker said, without modi-
fication of it's least detail.''
Following is a tabulation by the
war department of the forces pro-
posed 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
Philippine scouts - at war
strength, with all increments add
ed, $4,000.
Present strength, 131 ,461. +
Volunteers required, l6l,5l9.
National guard, including only
units now organized:
At war strength, 329,954.
Present strength, 123,605.
Volunteers required, 206,349.
Additional:
To replace 100000 officers and
men withdrawn from above force
as training personnel for first
100000 selective conscripts, $780,
900.
Total number of volunteers for
war service only, 517,S68.
In addition to these figures the
discharge from the regular army
and national guard of men with
dependent relatives and for other
causes will create additional va
cancies which will be filled by vol
unteers.
Under the law. full enlistment
requirement of six years in the ma
tlonal guard and seven years in
the regular service, must be
signed by all men taken into eth
er service. The pending bill pro-
vides specifically for duration of
the war enlistment contracts but
this cannot be applied until con-
gress acts. TO meet the immedi-
ate situation, the secretary has d.
rected that recruiting officers as
sure men accepted during the
emergency that the contracts will
not be enforced against them, but
that they will be honorably dis
charged at the close of the war.
Army officers believe there will
be no difficulty in obtaining many
men of some military experience
through the present plan. They
are virtually necessary to the
scheme as from the commissioned
and enlisted ranks of the regulars
and the guard, 10000 or 2O0,-
900 men must be drawn within six
months to become officers and
noncommissioned officers of the
first 500, 1000 increment Of the Sc
lective draft army.
The door of promotion is wide
open to any man qualified to hold
! commission, even up to the
grade of general, for the places of
he $4,000 officers alone to be
from the existing SER
'ices for training purposes will be
Tiled from the officers reserve
.orps, from the ranks, or from the
many officers training camps to
,e established.