The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1917-02-24
OUR ARMY FORCES
Defense Council Figures We Can
Raise 4,778,O5O.
ARE FIT FOR MILITARY DUTY.

Still Greater Number Might Be Put
Under Arms In Emergency by Re-
cruting Older Men, Lowering Of
Physical Standards and Placing Wo.
men In Mems Jobs.
New York.-An army Of 4,778,O5O of
men between eighteen and forty-five
years old fit for military service is
available in this country, according to
the estimate Of an investigating staff
of the executive committee of the may
Or's committee on national defense.
A still greater number might be put
under arms in serious emergency, &C.
cording to the committees report, by
the recruiting of older men, by the
lowering Of physical standards and by
the employment Of women in occupa-
tons now open only to men.
The task Of estimating the total re-
sources Of the nation in men available
for military service between the ages
of eighteen and forty-fve, inclusive, is
complex. For into this calculation
there enter many uncertain factors. In
addition to the morbidity rate and the
physical rejection rate there is to be
considered the dependency of families
and the need Of men Of mature years
in the business and industry of the
country.
In 1910 the males from eighteen to
forty-five years old in the United States
numbered 21,O71, O76. Although approx
imately 100000 were aliens and there
fore ineligible for military service, the
officials of the census bureau consider
that the increase in population be-
tween 1910 and the summer of 1916
has about compensated for these.
Through a deduction of 2la per cent
for morbidity. the total Of 21,O71O76
becomes 2O,544.3O0, and through de-
duction of about 1919 per cent for phys
ical defects there is further reduction
to 1S,O07,OSO
The census tables showing the num-
Der of men in various occupations
Farmers. factory workers, miners.
physicians, lawyers. railroad employ
ees, clerks. public officials and so on
have been carefully examined, and the
effort has been made to reach an ap-
prOXimate estimate Of the number that
could be spared for military duty in a
serious emergency. This leads to the
estimate that 100000 out of the 3d.
O91,5G4 employed, or 58.5 per cent.
could be brought into service if needed
And this percentage applied to the 49,
OO7OSO physically fit between eighteen
and forty-fve years old gives 1885,
94O
Still unconsidered however, is mar
ital condition or dependency. Though
unmarried men have dependents, there
. are married men who are in such cir
cumstances that they can do military
service without imposing hardship
upon their families. How nearly the
latter come to offsetting the former
cannot be stated even approximately.
In this calculation all the single. wild
owed, and divorced men are assumed
to be available and all the married
men unavailable.
OF the 21.O71,076 men from eighteen
to forty-fve years old 1875 per cent
are single, widowed or divorced 1885
per cent being single). If this percent
{ age be applied to the 1855, 940-the
figure arrived at after deductions for
sickness, physical defects and indus
trial necessities-the number available
for service becomes 4,77S,050, or 22.7
per cent of the entire number Of males
from eighteen to forty-five. This is
about one out of five.
In the attempts to estimate a ma
TONS human military resources it has
been borne in mind that the result de-.
Ponds upon highly elastic factors.
Upon the seriousness of the emergency
which faces a nation must depend in a
great degree the proportion Of exemp-
tons from military duty.
The executive committee is composed
of Willard Straight, chairman; Cleve-
land H. Dodge, William D. Dykman.
Major Francis G. Landon, John Mitch
ell, George w. Perkins, ex-Secretary of
War Henry L. Stimson, Alfred E.
Smith and Alexander M. White