Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1917-05-02
10 RlIsE
A Big ARMY
U. s. Preparese Aset Draft in Mo-
uon. Withou nay to Pro-
duce Traineo my.
'0''' WEN MUST lister
First 500, 900 Drafted to Ee sel
vice in August or SeptemhSr
and Next Squad Six
Months Later-Can-
tOnment Sites
Selected.


Selected.
With enactment of the selective
draft army bill the war department
is preparing to set machinery in mo-
ton without delay to produce under
the measure within two years
trained army Of 100000 men.
Within ten days after the bill is
signed every township in the country
will be registering it's young men
for duty and work will have begun
on the sixteen training contonments
or camps where preparation of the
forces for war will start in August
or September. Sites for the canton
ments have been selected tentatively,
and all arrangements made for the
concentration OF the troops assigned
to each.
Decentralization of administrative
work will be scought by the depart
ment in every move it makes. De-
tails are not yet disclosed. but it Is
known that registration will be car
ried on through sherinfs and other
county officials, aided by postmast-
ers or other federal agencies where
that seems desirable. Instructions
AID forms already have been prepar-
ed and will be forwarded to the state
adiutants general for distribution
among county oflicials.
Those Liable Must Respond.
Wide publicity Is planned. so that
no man liable for registration will
have a good excuse for falling to re-
spond. On a date to be set every
citizen affected by the act will be re-
Qnired on pain Of heavy penalty to
present himself at the nearest regis
tration place where machinery will
be provided for classifying the re-
cruits and eliminating those exempt.
Doubtful cases will be referred to
higher authorities.
With the rolls Of those liable for
service complete, the task of select
ing the men to go in the first incre-
ment of 100000 will begin. It has
been suggested that this be done by
means Of the county jury wheel. The
first man whose name is drawn would
go and by that plan the first 500, 900
mon would be called out for training
within a few months. The second
drawn would go with the second in
crement to I've called six months
later; the third with the third incre-
ment, with duty Of a year of, and
80 on.
Work on Cantonmemts.
Meanwhile, the work of building
the eontonments will 60 forward.
Regular troops and national guards
win be assigned to them. with each
arm Of the service so represented as
to provide the framework Of com
plete army division at each point
The guardsmen will be selected from
the territory covered by the training
district so far as practicable. Police
duty at the cantonments will become
part OF the responsibility Of each dis
tfict Sommandant. and he will make
such assignment of his forces as he
may deem wise. Meantime both the
regulars and guardsmen will con.
tinue recruiting to war strength.
With the new regiments assembled
a rigorous course Of training will be
undertaken. The officers training
camps to be established within q
few days in each district will begin
at the end Of three months pouring
new officers into this organization
and the enlisted men selected from
the ranks of the regulars for com
missions viii be given special in
structions to fit them for officers
Until the army of young men pre-
sents itself at the camps in August
or September the regulars ane
guardsmsn also will pursue a vigor
lous course OF training.
s~The plans call for transfer to thu
( frpt 100000 men obtained BY draf
Of fsom 10000 to 100000 noncom
Fmissiof fet amcers trained in the reg
ular and NATIONAL guard increments
1T ii 1ege Shat opportunity lies FOL
me1 vho Volunteer now as enlisted
men THE ranks of the two services
On item. war department ofacial'
say, even TO a greater extent thar
upon the commissioned officers, vii
depend the efficiency OF the new
armies. The backbone OF any mill
tasy organization is its nonccmmis
stoned force. and in the ma1tbs tina
Y -.