Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-12-01
MOVEMENT BEGUN TO SAVE TIM E
IN FORMING FUTURE
DRAFT ARMY.
DRILL FOR ALL REGisTRANTs
NEW PLAN EVOLVED
Congress to Be Urged to Make Pro-
vision For Preliminary Training OF
All Men Who May Be Called Into
Service Under Selective System
Russia Becoming Big Conundrum.

washington. Dec. More and more
Il is being borne in upon our makers
Of war that the same principles OF
conservation and coordination that
are SO effective in dealing with coulmo-
dities would be equally efficient ap-
piled 20 men.
We are taking the percentage OF tAe
registered men between p and 81 LOT
war service, and thus far have done
nothing about the other 100000 from
which. in the nature OF things, new
armies must be made from time 10
time
Under the present lack OF system
these men will reach the training
camps as innocent OF military know!-
edge as those of the first call, and SO
much additional time must be spent
before they are fit for SOLDERING as =
takes time to acquire the ruo!H!eh :
OF training.
Instruction in Advance.
4 movement is under way 10 aVol0
this There is no good reason ina
the registered men should not get pre-
liminary instruction in advance O.
their being called. If they were gwen
one or two nights week OF primary
lessons in soldering l. would stnp!lly
and expedite the raising OF the ne"
armies that must come into being.
The War Department expects 20
have 8. 900. 900 men under arms by the
end of 1918. Already they have taken
control of every man between the
ages of - and 81 they were able 70
register and undoubtedly there WI!
be LEGISLATION az the coming session
that will include the boys who nave
come Of age since the frst registration.
They have divided these into classes
in order to make the call really selec-
tive and after the fifteenth OF Deem
Der, his year, no man Of all these can
enlist in the army.
Government Must Decide,
The War Department through us
ouestionrstre, will know the cspaoili-
ties Of every man and reserves to Itself
the privilege Of determining whether
he IS OF more use to the war, at the
plo,y or n the workshop than n the
ranks Of the army.
Certain exceptions are permitted;
enlistments are not wholly barred tor
the present IN the navy or the nartne
corps, and young medical men are
permitted to enroll. but otherwise the
matter Of Joining the army IS out OF
control Of the registered man. Though
the inference Is tnescapable that all
OF the men are liable TO be called to
serve no preparation has actually been
made thus far to make them ready.
Use Retired Officers.
In every community there are re-
tired officers competent 10 instruct
men in the elementary tactics. Chi
cago is using school buildings for drill
halls for the Illinois reserve militia and
similar use Is being made OF schools
elsewhere. These buildings could be
devoted as well to the preliminary
training Of the men who will make up
the future National army calls.
The Constitution sharks say Il viii!
require an act Of Congress TO author
ize the schooling Of the selected men
not yet called. Congress will be in
session on Monday, and bill for SC
sane a purpose will meet no opposl-
ton worth considering.
Russian conundrur.
Russia IS the big conundrum Of to-
days war situation. Every other man
you meet has & different idea as -
the proper steps to prevent the stag
gering giant Of the north from falling
into the arms Of Germany. The soldier
folk think a japanese army operating
via the Tigris and Euphrates or ii
the Jerusalem country, via Suez. Is
the answer. Such an army could DC
transported and supplied without
risking the U-boats, and the military
men say that the elimination Of Tur-
key, which the japanese, in connec.
ton with the English forces now op.
Grating in these regions, could accom-.
plish, would more than counterbalance
the Russian collapse,
Moreover, they say that allied vic.
tories Whereabouts would encourage
the Cossacks and other stanch ele.
ments Of the Russian army to keel
up their fight and the result would
be that, no matter what pact the Dol.