The states-graphic. (Brownsville, Tenn.) 1???-1984, 1917-11-02
SOLDIERS EAGER FOR
SERVICE IN FRANCE
Young Men Of National Army Want
to Go Abroad, Baker Reports.

Washington, Oct. 29.-Most of the
young men called for service in the
NATIONAL army want to go to France
as fighting men, and they want to get
there quickly.
Reports from five or six of the big
training camps, Secretary Baker an
nounced tonight, show that when ask
ed what they want to do, the great
majority of the select men say they
don't care what their job is, just so
they get to France among the first,
and then when given a choice between
the combatant and noncombatant
branches, most of them elect to be
fighters.
s'The boys at the front are getting
ready to go there all right" is n
verdict of the secretary, who recently
visited several training camps in n
east and south. "Our nation need have
nothing but mounting pride in the spec
tacle they present"
an these camps" said Mr.. Bakers
statement, leach man is asked: what
do you want to do? ! have had reports
from five or six of the largest camps
and they show that the majority an
swered in effect: | don't care what /
do, Just so | get to France among the
first. The next question asked them
is: What branch of the service DO you
prefer? Now one who did not know
America would expect them to say:
Well | have been working in a store,
| have been a hand on a farm; ! nave
been a mechanic; | have been a clerk,
/ don't know much about guns and can
non, perhaps one of the noncombatant
places is the place where | can render
the best service. But what is the
fact?
t"These sons and brothers drawn out
of life by selection-more than ne-
third have asked to go into the infant
nv service. The next choice is the light
artillery; the next is the heavy artll-
lery service; the next is the aviation
service.
$50 that what they ask for IN a
tremendously predominating majority
of instances is not the noncombatant
service for which their previous eX-
perience might we'll qualify them, but
the fighting branch, so that they can
take the risk Of fighting for their coun-
try with the real weapons of a The
boys at the front are getting ready to
go all right. Our nation need have
nothing but mounting pride at the
spectacle they present"
One days examination at Camp
Upton, New York, for preference as
to branch of service showed:
Infantry, 722; cavalry, 6; field and
heavy artillery AIT; coast artillery 81;
engineers 1888; signal corps and AVA
ton 1913; medical corps, So; quarter
master corps, SOL; ordnance II; ma
-hine. runs ?; trains A; yeteri
vice /.
The gathering of info mati9N
the mems preference 0r service is
eds . small part Of the work Of clas-
styling the national army men that
is being carried on under the supervis-
ion of the committee on classification
of personnel in the army. Virtually
the life history Of every man is set
down by means Of an elaborate card
system, the original being sent to the
divisional headquarters, where a divis-
ion personnel officer studies the an
swers given and classiies the select
men according to his capabili-
ties. The other copy is kept in the
company records.
Questions asked include amount of
schooling, what foreign language the
men speak, their preference as to
branch Of service, whether married or
single, what was their previous trade,
job or occupation, name of last employ
er, wage received and in what work
they have been most proficient.
1t is within the province of the per-
sonnet officer to recommend transfers
from one company to another to fill
up deficiencies in expert men, such as
gunsmiths and the like.