Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1917-05-04
FIRST DRAFT IN
CAMP JUNE |
Expect 100000 Men FIJI For
Front Next April
START REGISTRATION At ONCE
War Department Hopes to Have Sec
ond Half Million of 100000 Author
lied Force in Training Next October.

ond Half Million of 100000 Author
lied Force in Training Next October.
Actual training of the first 100000
men of the army of 100000 authorlz-
ed by congress in passing the selec-
tive draft bill will begin on June L
next, according to the scheme worked
out by the army war college and the
war department.
This force will be fully equipped
and trained, ready to be sent to tae
fighting front in Europe by April l.,
1918.
Training of another half million men
will begin on October ] this year., and
they will be ready for service by Aug
ust /, 1913 Then, in the spring OF
1918, if mere men from this country
are needed to defeat the central pow
ers, the work of training and equip
ping a second million men will be
begun.
1t is estimated that the gross casu-
alties of troops actually engaged Will
be about ten per cent month, but
that as about half the men will be
able to return to the front the actual
net wastage will be about five per
cent. Troops to replace the wast2ge
must be in training for at least SIX
months before being sent to the. front.
1t may not be possible to begin the
actual training OF the first 100000 men
by June l, as al tie preliminary wcrk
of registration is still to be done, CIV
ing to the delay in passing the selec.
tive draft bill by congress, but the
war department hopes to start the
training by September l at tie lstest.
In the meantime. President Wilson
may issue a call for approximately
100000 volunteers to recruit the regu-
lar army and the national guard up
to full war strength. If not enough
volunteers respond the men needed
may be conscripted in addition to the
half million to begin training.
Recruits for the regular srmy by
volunteering has fallen off rapidly
since April I, and the national guard
recruiting has been extremely slow.
About 10000 more men are required
to fill up the regular army and 100000
for the national guard, including the
new units to be organized.
Registration of men from whom the
first regiment of 100000 will be select
ed Will take place within the next thir
ty days. and will closely follow the
lines Of a registration for an electicn.
A proclamation will be issued notify
ing all men affected to appear at the
registration places. The election ma
chinerv Of each community will be
used to facilitate matters and the po'
lice will be used to bring in those who
fail to appear voluntarily.
Newton D. Baker, sccret9ry of war,
favcrs the jury wheel system of select
ing the men. The names of all those
previously registered for military duty,
after the names Of those exempted
have been removed, will be put in the
wheel and the proper number drawn
Exemption boards will be localized
TO the greatest possible extent, as it
IS believed that nsighborhood knowL
edge will cid the military authorities
in passing on men who should be ex.
empted because Of the Importance OF
their civilian occupations. The first
elimination, Of course, will be of those
physically unfit; next persons engaged
in occupations vital to the welfare Of
the nation, farmers and munitions
workers coming first in this class.
The 100000 men first called will be
sent to sixteen different camps for
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