The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1917-04-13
READY TO CALL
100000 vOLUN-
TIERS At ONCE


Washington, April l2-Thc war de-
partment prepared today to issue in
structions to recruiting officers which
will be in effect cali for 100000 vol
unteers to fill up the regular army
and the existing units of the national
guard.
All recruits enlisted since the dec
laration of war and those to be en-
listed hereafter will be notified that
they will be discharged at the close
of the war, putting them in the status
of wartime volunteers.
A total Of 1855 men already have
been enrolled in the regular army who
will come under such status. This
number of recruits was accepted dur
ing the first ten days after the pass
age of the war resolution.
Provides for 517,868 Volunteers
| Analysis Of the pending administra-
ton bill as it effects the regular army
and the national guard shows that
provision is made for the absorption
of 517,868 volunteers. OF these 161, 518
will be needed to fill up the regular
army and 206,349 for the national
guard, AS 100000 men must be with
drawn from these two services with
in six months to train the first $780,
600 increment of the selective con-
script army, their places must be TAX
en- by that number Of additional vol
unteers.
By this plan, while absorbing the
volunteer spirit of the country, the
feasibility of depending entirely up
on volunteers will be demonstrated.
Army officers are certain that it will
show congress, where there are some
doubts of the selective CONSUMPTION
plan, that Consumption is necessary to
main an army adequate to meet tie
present situation.
| amy VIZ pa CAAlNhl NOillillellhNlo nav
been ordered to resume recruiting ma
tional guard organizations to the
peace strength OF the regular army
100 men to the company. Many COM
panies now have as low as Is men.
A war department statement was is
sued today to make plain that national
guard recruiting had not been discon-
tinued.
Such an impression is not correct"
the statement says, and department
commanders have been informed that
national guard organizations may be
recruited to the maximum peace
strength of the regular army"
Anti-Sub Campaign
A campaign of colossal proportions
to break down the German submarine
blockade and keep the entente plenti-
fully supplied with food, clothing and
munitions has been determined upon
by President Wilson and his advisers
as Americas first physical stroke
against her enemy.
| Unable now to send an army into
the trenches, the president believes
the United States can do an even
greater service in the common cause
against Germany by providing great
armada OF merchantmen to invalidate
the under-sea campaign about which
have been rallied the fading hopes of
Prussian conquest,
For weeks officials have been at
work on such plan, but not until to-
day was it revealed on how great
scale that task had been projected, or
how great Importance was attached to
it in the administrations general war
program. Virtually every detail now
has been completed, and by fall the
campaign itself will be in full swing.
Many officials believe it may attain
supremacy over the submarine which
will prove the decisive victory of the
great war
| Quickly built, light wooden ships of
1000 tons and upward are to make up
the first fleet of merchantmen, and
to insure maximum construction the
shipping board has enlisted the coun-
try's entire shipbuilding facilities,
now the greatest in the world. Up
wards of hundred private plants will
help, giving the boards orders prece-
dence over every other class of work
except the most urgent raval con
struction, For the first year produc-
ton is expected to average three ships
a day
| GEORGIA SENDS ANOTHER