Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1917-12-07
EFFECT OF DRAFT ON
COLLEGES DISCUSSED
Provision for Examining Students
Subject to Draft Made by
College

The immediate examination Of all
State College students who are sub
ject to draft to enable those students
who are physically unfit to continue
their college work uninterrupted, is
the plan Of President +. o. Holland
and Colonel w. T. May, the latter
commandant of cadets at the college.
Arrangements are now under way to
secure the services of an army med
zeal officer to establish temporary Of
uees on the campus and examine the
registered men. The establishment
Of the physical status of the regis
tered men is expected to quiet the
unrest which now affects the eligibles
because of the lack of definite
knowledge of what the near future
holds for them, and Will tend to keep
in college a large number of men
who would be rejected following the
examination, yet who might leave the
institution in expectation of being
called to the colors.
At the assembly hour Tuesday
morning President Holland, Prof.
Carpenter, and Colonel May dis
cussed the draft situation and its
probable effect on the enlistment of
college men. w. s. c. students were
counseled not to plunge into the mil
itary life without careful considera-
ton of their fitness for specialized
service and the advice was rendered
that the common soldier in the draft
army had every bit as much oppor-
tunity for adyancem ent as the VOL
unteer enlisted man Several ques-
tons which have perpleXed the
minds of those who are expecting to
be called to the colors were taken up
and answered in detail by the diff
ferent speakers.
The work of the psychologists at
Washington, d. c., in examining the
enlisted men and placing them in the
branch of the service where they will
be of most value was outlined by Dr.
Holland He also told how one of
our own graduates, Mr. Turner, was
carrying on the same work at Camp
Lewis cataloguing every man accord
ing to his ability along different
lines Thus it was shown that an
effort is being made to place the
drafted man in the position for which
his inclinations and natural ability
best fit him.
President Holland urged that
there be no general exodus of stu
dents from school and that no one
lie in haste to enlist unless he felt
a strong call to the service of his
country.
Prof. Carpenter, on visiting the
navy yard at Bremerton just recent
~, found that there is a pressing
need for skilled machinists in ship
work. This need is also strongly felt
in the private Shipbuilding yards in
Seattle, according the Prof Carpen-
ter. AIachinists' helpers are doing
much of the machine work and
man who has even seen "a machine
has a fair chance of landing a job.
1t is expected that skilled machinists
and other skilled ship workers will
be exempt from the draft unless men
can be found to take their places.
The speaker advised students, es-
pecially the engineering students,
who are skilled in mechanical lines
to go into this line of work in the
ship yards whore men are so badly
needed and those who have not yet
received sufficient training to stay
with their school work. Every man
should make an effort to place him
self where he will do the most good, >"
said Prof Carpenter.
In answer to the question "Will
there be any enlistments after De-
cember 15?" Colonel May read a
telegram from Adjutant General Nc
Cain at Washington, d. c., which
ran as follows: No registrants
under selective service law permit
ted to enlist after noon December Is
next"
There are lots of openings in the
quartermaster department, according
to Colonel May. Mechanics, chauf-
feurs, storekeepers, checkers in
warehouses are especially wanted
There are also openings in various
branches of the aviation and balloon
service for men who can keep their
sense of balance while standing on
their heads. The tests that appli-
cants for this branch of the service
must pass we're touched upon by the
speaker. In concluding, Colonel May
complimented the fine lot of appli-
cants for the officers training camp
that we have at w. S. c.
Sunday, December 9, has been des-
ignated as All-College Sunday by all