Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-11-30

carried to its logical conclusion and
we must meet Prussian efficiency with
a greater American effectiveness. we
must consider the circumstances OF all
registrants. We must arrange them IN
the order in which they can be taken
with the least disturbance and thus
place behind cur battle lines sources
Of recruitment that will furnish men
as they are needed. This means seq
regation OF registrants in classes ar
ranged in the order OF their AVAILABLE
ity for military service.
Scientifically the greater the num-
Der Of classes the less would be the
disturbance OF our economic life.
Practically and after an exhaustive
study of our experience, we find that
the circumstances OF registrants cause
them to fall quite naturally into five
classes"
"By the great drawing In Washing
ton the order Of availability for all men
whose circumstances were equal was
determined. We shall not disturb this
order unless some great need OF the
nation requires it, We shall make
four classes Of temporary and con-
tingent discharges, but within each
class Qncluding the class OF those i'm
mediately available) men shall stand
( in the order determined by the draw
ing.
1.-THE unit for classification is the
| jurisdiction OF local board. The first
class in any jurisdiction will meet all
calls until it is exhausted, whereupon
the second class becomes available.
Glasses Refined.
You have before you sheet show
ing the classification that must be &C
! complished. Without permitting your
selves. for the moment, to be appalled,
by the magnitude of the task. / ASK
you to suppose that the 100000 reg.
istrants in the United States have
been segregated into these five classes
In class I we shall then have, in ever1
community, Immediately available fol
military service single men and few
! married men whose removal will no
disturb the reasonably adequate sup
port Of their dependents, In the in
dustrial and agricultural aspect W.
, shall have segregated into this class
! men who have not specially nJJe,
I, / themselves for industrial or agricul
, tural pursuits so that our only incur
, sion into the labor supply viii affec
/ but a small percentage Of unskille
. labor.
p an class II we find men who ca
n be taken without disturbing the sup
= port Of any dependent and, as I shall
alrg
/, | drawing on Glass II arrives, we mus
demand even from agriculture and in
= dustry an adjustment to replace
a small percentage Of skilled labor al
; fected by the draft-men who, Will
I occupying no pivotal or importaU
f position, can serve industry or ayr
a culture better than unskilled men
, should the pinch Of military neces
sity increase beyond Glass II, it woul
G mean that the nation would have (
begin to commit itself to hardship an
TO an adjustment in agriculture an
industry to meet the paramount net
y essity. We take in Glass III a yer
e small class Of persons upon whOl
4 others are dependent for support, bl
h we do not break up the closest an
e most sacred OF the family relation
= ships We also invade the field of az
r riculture and industry to the exteI
Of taking, in the small percentage a
p fected, men who have specialize
}, themselves or who occupy rath
i pivotal positions.
r IN Glass " we find the men who
g we shall take as a last resort. Befo
r that class is reached it is perfect
'e safe to say that by the addition of 9th
p classes as TO age, say those who ha
p attained Il since registration day al
h perhaps adding the classes of Is al
'e i9 and 20 years old, men, we sha