Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-04-19
"SeIectiye Consumption"

President Wilson's stand the vital question
OF raising the new army undoubtedly brings deep
satisfaction TO army men who have studied the
problem OF national enlistment. AS the president
told the senator's Yesterday he will not compronl-
81 srt he backs the Judgment Of the army experts,
and they are all against the volunteer system.
~ What was said in these columns some days ago
regarding the trial to he made OF volunteering.
with ultimate resort TO the seective draft. now
holds good The call has gone out for volunteers
in the regular army and in the militia. But the
president, Secretary Baker and the general staff
expecting no great results from the call for voun-
teers have not been particularly disappointed and
are moving ahead with plans for the "seleetire
Fconseiption.' 49,. I'LL. 4 -
- Undoubtedly the American mind recoils from
the word 'conscription' 1t brings up to some Of
the elder generation memories OF the draft riots of
Civil War DAYS, with the glaring defects of that
system laid bare; to Others il brings up vision
- NJ feeruftng squads under inexofabe sergeants
marching from house to house and haling men to
the coors, as Belgian civilians are impressed into
the service of Germany-torn from their families.
Nothing Of the sort Is contemplated. No general
conscrption is proposed. ''Seleetiye CONSUMPTION
means something quite different.
What the president favors appears to be along
the Derby plan which worked ont successfully in
leaving at home until the last extremity those who
hare dependent families or relatives.
First to be called are those men who have no
dependents The work and responsibility Of rails
ing the new army are to be divided among the
states and among the c1asses of civilians if re-
ports from Washington are correct. IT is under
stood that the general staff plans propose to ex.
empt from the first call. skilled workers in many
industries. These workers, however, will be part
OF the Industrial force of the country which is to
be mobilized" in national service 1t is said that
skilled farmers are not TO be called at first the
government realizing that the problem of food
stuffs is one Of the most pressing before the gov
Senator Chamberlain recently changed the min
iHpm age limit in his bill from 10 to 20 years and
added asprOyision that the secretary Of war shall
divide the country into training divisions.
president Wilson is understood to have decided
definitely upon the following plan:
The first step is to recruit the regular army and
national guard up to war strength. This is al
ready being tried under the call as published in
the Honolulu newspapers last Friday and Satur,
day: The warstrength recruiting, if entirely sue.
cessfuL win bring up our military forces, indie
pendent Of any draft system to approximately
$4,000 men, making room for the absorption of
half a million volunteers.
The present strength Of the regular army is
something less than 10000 men and Of the guard
about 10000.
To raise the army Of, two million which is now
talked OF, more than 900 must be enlisted by
"selective CONSUMPTION after the regulars and
national guard organizations have been recruited
up to full war strength. OF course, it is possible
that call for volunteers In addition to the full
enlistment of the present organization might be
made, but there is LITTLE expectation that the yoI