The daily Alaskan., 1917-03-26
OUR ARMY FORCES
Defense Council Figures We Can
 Raise 4,77s,050. x
ARE FIT FOR MILITARY DUTY.

I Still Creator Number Might Be Put
 Under ArnS In EmeF5snoy by Re-
 oruitins Older Men, Lowering of
 Physical Standards and PlSSina Wo-
 men In Men's Jobs. .-
 New York.-An army of 4,77sIe5O of men between eighteen and forty-tive 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 or's committee on national defense. A still greater number might be put under arms in a 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 mem r '.
 The task of estimating the total re- sources of the nation in men available for military service between the ages of eighteen and forty-flve, 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 in the business and industry of the country. .......
 In 1910 the males from eighteen to forty-flve years old iu the United States numbered 21, 1O76. Although approx imately 1,S00,0O0 were aliens and there fore ineligible for military service, the officials of the census bureau consider that the increase in population be- tween 1910 and the summer of 1916 has about compensated for these.
 Through deduction of 21a per cent for morbidity, the total of 21,071'Ol6 becomes 2O,544,SO0, and through de duction of about 12ls per cent for phys ical defects there is further reduction to 1S,O07,0S0, . . .rr 't.
 The census tables showing the num- 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 in serious emergency. This leads to the estimate that 1760GOOO out of the 8o,- 091,564 employed, or 5S.5 per cent could be brought into service if needed. And this percentage applied to the lS,- O0T,0S0 physically fit between eighteen and forty-fve years old gives 10,5S5,- 940.
 Still unconsidered, however, is mar ,ital condition or dependency. Though unmarried men have dependents; there are married men who are in such cir cumstances 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. Tn this calculation all the single, wid- owed, and divorced men are assumed to be available and all the married men unavailable. ... ..a -..'i
 Of the 21,O71,O76 men from eighteen to forty-flve years old 45.35 per cent are single, widowed Or divorced (43.35 per cent being singleJ. If this percent age be applied to the 10,535;940-the figure arrived at after deductions for sickness, physical defects and indus trial necessities-the number available for service becomes 4,77S050, or 22.7 per cent of the entire number of males from eighteen to forty-fiVe. This Is about one out of five. ..-'''
 In the attempts to estimate a na- tion's human military resources 1t has been borne in mind that the result de- bends upon highly elastic factors. Upon the seriousness of the emergency which faces a nation must depend in great degree the proportion of exemp- tions from military duty.
 The executive committee is composed of Willard Straight, chairman; Cleve- land H. Dodge, William D. Dykman, Major Francis G. Landon, John Mitch ell, George ". Perkins, eX-Seeretary of War Henry l.. Stinson, Alfred E. Smith and Alexander M. White.