Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1917-07-10
DRAFT COMES soon
MANY OF MEN SELECTED WILL
GET TO EUROPE SOONER
THAN WAS EXPECTED.
ALL IN CAMP SEPTEMBER IS
Elaborate Plans Made for the Train.
ing, Health, Comfort and Recreation
of the Young Soldiers IN the Various
Cantonments.
BY EDWARD 3. CLARK. /,

BY EDWARD q. CLARK
Washington.-The drawing of men
for the "selective service army, is not
long TO be delayed. 1t may be pleas
ant or unpleasant for the chosen men
to know there are evidences that the
period of their training in this country
VIII not be so prolonged as most of
them seem to think. Earlier than
was expected, it is fairly safe to say,
they will get within sound of the guns
just back of the battle front.
There has been a marked change
apparent recently in the attitude of
the war department toward the ques-
ton of quick service. There is a will
lingness to forget that some high army
officials urged that not a man should
be sent to Europe until a huge army
was raised and trained TO be sent over
lin bunch" after twelve months, or
may be eighteen months of prepare
ton in this country
1t is expected that out Of the 100000
men chosen to serve their country in
the first big army, there will be at
least TO per cent and perhaps more
of the youngsters who have seen some
kind of military service. 1t is expect
ed there Will be q quick separation
OF those who know things military
from those who know nothing military
Boys who have been in college or high
school regiments or who have been
wholly or partly educated at private
military academies will be put into
advanced classes"
All In Training by September is.
There has been some fear expressed
recently that the camps will not be
ready for the new army by September
.. 1t is possible that some few of
them will not be in shape TO receive
recruits, but there is little doubt that
all the men can be put into training
by September 10, and that the great
majority of them will start work ten
days earlier
There has been an elaboration of the
plans for caring for the members of
the new army in all ways. The medi-
cal department Of the army under Sur
geOn General Gorgas, man who has
seen service In every climate, can be
depended upon to do everything that
is humanity possible to make the camps
sanitary. There will be perfect drain
age; the barracks will be warm and
waterproof; there will be plenty of
fresh air inside them; there will be
shower baths in such numbers that no
man will have to wait for his daily
deluge; there will be fine kitchen ia
cilities, good cooks and the best of
food.
In addition to all these things the
Y. NJ. c. A. workers will organize recre-
alton centerS, will see to it that the
men have facilities for letter writing,
and for the other things which 1t is
not either comfortable or easy to at
tempt to do in the more or less ham
pered quarters of the barracks.
Church Laymen to Help.
I.aymen of the Protestant and Cath
Ole churches are going to look after
the needs of members of their COM
munions. 1t is probable that comfort
centers for the youth of the service
will be provided by laymen of the
churches, one of which already
through one organization has pledged
500, 100000 TO be spent to provide for
the needs Of the young men of It's faith
1t is the intention of the government
TO station at every cantonment army
officers who have had experience with
large bodies Of troops In the field I'M
der all kinds of conditions. There is
a realizing sense that if the health
of the men is not conserved there prob
ably will be severe criticism and that
the efficiency of the army will be hurt.
Verging on Treason.
Slackers, DIRECTORS and the sleepy
heads continue to make trouble for
Uncle Sam in his endeavor to prose-
cute the war. The government seems
to be awake today to the menace of
the obstructionists and the indifferent.
Every obstructionist and every indif-
ferent one in the land, as Washington
views it, ought to know by this time
that President Wilson is head and
heart in this fight. that his every eff
fort is to rouse his country to the dan
ger In which 1t stands of being overrun
by military despotism with its iron
shod feet. Washington believed that
after the country had read Mr.. Will
sons Flag day address, the sleepy ones
would awake and the SO-called anti
militarists would rest from their
labors.
There are signs here that the coun-
try finally is rousing itself sufficiently
TO understand that war is on and
that this country Is engaged In 1t.
There are officials here, however, still
willing to say that uril there be a
thorough rousing there can be no def
mite assurance that tn entire 81 ength
of the country can be thrown into the
conflict. Moreover, hey say that the
indifference of those !, 40 do not fully
realize conditions is feeding the fires
of opposition which the anti-militarists
and others are tending.
Work of lnsldlous Enemies.
CHARTERED in the same building with
the council of national defense is an
organization which advised the believ-
.ers in its creed to register, but 1t still
is blocking the way with this thing
and that in order 10 cripple so far as
is possible the army with which Uncle