The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1917-12-13
THURkpAY, pEoEMBER Is, 1917.
..seIeotiye praft ,--The Real Way

We find it hard to epthuse over the
fact that a lot of young men are now
rushing to get into the various diyi-
sions Of the army through the yolun-
teer pathway. We favor the "selec-
tive plan" We believe that any man
selected by the government for army
service will be placed where he belongs.
The government is not seeking to put
square plugs into round holes and the
young man who is selected to serve is
going to be allowed to serve where ex-
pert army men believe that he will be
Of greatest service to his nation. IF
the volunteers were from the ranks of
men beyond the draft age, there might
be cause for the grand rush. These
men must not be deceived. After they
are once in the army the government
will reserve the right to place them
where they will be Of most service.
There is no desire to hinder or dis
courage enlistments, but let the men go
in without false understanding.
Right now we believe that the interests
Of the young man subject to selective
service are best served by his going
into the National Army. We believe
that in allowing the government to de-
eide what branch of service he is best
fitted for and put him into that branch
is going to be a conservation of the
nations war material in manhood and
at the same time protection to the
individuals against getting into wrong
service.
Not all Of the men called as members
Of the National Army are going to the
trenches Uncle Sam is mindful Of the
needs Of the army in all of it's branches
and every day men who went off with
draft quotas are being sent from camp
TO camp in order that they may be
placed in positions in which they can
be of greatest service to the nation.
Not every man who is enlisted for
the machinists corps - going to stay in
that corps anymore than the men who>l
are enlisted for the quartermaster $ de-
partment are going to be barred from
fighting. Intelligence is going to be
used in handling enlisted men. If an
enlisted man has finely trained mind,
the government is not going to dissi-
pate such service by putting it to dig
ging trenches. The army has need of
brains just the same as any other insti-
tuition.
The questionable which is now being
sent out in every village and hamlet in
the country is aimed to give govern
ment boards a chance to select men.
Not only to select men to carry mus
kets but men to carry the hod, to shoe
horses, to make plans Of Notifications,
to be experts as clerks, to be stenogra
pliers and bookkeepers, to be purchas-
ing agents and to fill any niche in the
great makeup of the army which may
be necessary to be filed.
The QUESTIONABLE is triumph in Sc
Letting men for great army. Tt is
going to be the protection for the Sc
leeted man and it is going to be the
salvation of the army. A careful study
of THIS well laid plan of the provost
marshal leaves no doubt but that men
are going to be properly placed, If the
nation needs men for clerical positions
rather than men for the trenches, the
men who are suited for such positions
are going to be called. The order in
which they will be called will undoubt-
eddy follow the numerical order of the
draft but only the numerical order that
relates to men fitted for the employ
ment in question.
The man who rushes into some other
line of service in order to avoid serv-
ice in the trenches is not showing the
proper consideration of the intelligence
of his nation. Men who have gone to
The environments have sent back the
word that they have been given every
consideration. Men from our own quo
tas have been advanced rapidly and
they are now being selected to take
places in the officers training camps.
We believe in the selective draft in
all of it's wide ramifcations. We be-
Eeve that it is the only real way to
select real army in this or any other
nation. We believe that the selective
draft is the best possible safeguard
for men who want to serve the nation
and render to the nation the best pos
sible service in the best possible way
Men who are unfit for service, ply
sically, in the draft army, are certainly
not going to be accepted as volunteers.
The really patriotic thing to do at this
time is to do the best you can as
civilian and at the same time be pre-
pared to do the best you can as q SOL
der at the time that the nation calls
for your services. IF you are fit for
army service, the nation in its own
good time will call you and it win be
your full duty to respond and respond
cheerfully.