New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-29
Rejection of Physically
Unprepared Added to
Mobilization Bill
NEW YORK STANDARD
AMONG THE HIGHEST
Lack of Medical Officers
Another Defect, Mayors
Committee Finds

Physical unpreparedness in the Ma
tional Guard at the time Of mobiliza-
ton last summer cost the government
no less than 100000, according to a
statement issued yesterday by the ex-
ecutive committee of Mayor MitchePs
Committee on National Defence. Among
the $4,000 officers and men subject to
President Wilson's call fully 28,o00, or
20 per cent, were rejected as physically
unfit, the committee reports. The esti-
mato Of 100000 covers the cost Of
examinations, transportation, pay and
food at the time Of mobilization and
the loss represented in the previous
training and equipment Of men who
were found useless when they were
needed
Although all but four states had
adopted the physical standards pre-
scribed for the regular army, the re-
port says, most of them had done 80
only on paper. Troops we're mustered
in without examination, and the rejec-
tions were heavy when the test was sp-
piled. In one company the loss was
II per cent; in Kentucky 40 per cent
81 the entire number of Guardsmen
presented for muster were rejected; In
Arkansas the combined strength OF two
infantry regiments was reduced from
2,076 to 1856 officers and men.
New York's Rejection Rate Low
A relatively low rejection rate" is
setts and few other states. The com
mttee found that New York, in par
ticulsr, had gone much further than
most of the other states in maintaining
proper physical standards. Among A.
099 officers and men 8O2, or OF per
cent, failed 10 pass the test.
"The direct cause OF this condition
says the report, referring 10 the heavy
average rejection rate, was the laxlty
in enforcing proper physical standards
in National Guard organizations In
ordinary times OF peace.
"If the cause be traced further back.
it will be found 10 be the difficulty IN
obtaining recruits. Only by Keeping on
the rolls men below the established
physical standard could Guard or
ganizations maintain the minimum
cNItUkln NECESSARY w ANNNSh'N'NH
the Federal government; even as 1t
was, many of them were short OF the
required minimum. The demand for
men was so much greater than the
supply that conformity 20 proper stand
ards was not compelled"
The remedy proposed by the commit
tee is simply "a genuine adherence IN
ordinary times by the National Guard
or any other citizen force that may be
created to the physical standards pre-
scribed by the regular army
Many Sources of Information
The committee collected the informs-
ton upon which the present report is
based not only from the War Depart
ment, but from state headquarters OF
the National Guard, mobilization camps
and regular and Guard officers. The
members Of the committee are Willard
d. Straight, chairman; William II.
Dykman, Cleveland H. Dodge, John
Mitchell, George W. Perkins, Alfred +.
Smith and Alexander VI. White.
Another defect in the present sys-
TEN, as discovered by the committee in
its investigation, is the lack OF suf-
ficient medical officers. In mentioning
the fact that the Militia Bureau OF the
War DEPARTMENT has recently directed
that the records Of physical examina-
tions of Guardsmen be passed upon By
medical officers of the regular army, u
is stated that there are not now, and
no prospects that there will be for
some time TO come, enough medical Of
ficers TO perform the task.