The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-04-02

and for the maintenance OF our in
dustries will be the subjects of special
theless the enlistment for field SER
vice should be spread as widely as
possible so that no locality will be
drained except in proportion to Its
capacity. This first exemption would
he called the Industrial Army and the
- ZEN enlisted in it would receive dis
| tinctive badge and would stand on an
equal plane with the fighting forces
but they would be subject to def1n-
lite rules and regulations which would
| to some extent limit their personal lib
erty. In order to receive the benefits
of. this system the employer would
also have to enlist in the Industrial
Army and would be subject to certain
reasonable rules. Each Industrial or
ganization thus enlisted would be pro-
tected so long as its business was nee
essary for war.
Having created the Industrial
Army, the remainder Of the morgan
lied militia would be divided into
classes as follows:
First Class: All from eighteen to
twenty years Of age inclusive
who have no dependents.
Second Glass: All from twenty-five
to thirty-four years of ago who have
no dependents.
Third Glass: All from thirty to
forty-four years Of age inclusive who
have no dependents
Fourth Class: All from eighteten to
twenty-four years Of age inclusive
who have dependents.
TTvSR u, A frov fxryn ~ n
thirty-four years Of age who have de-
pendents.
Sixth Glass: All from thirty-five to
forty-four years of age inclusive who
have dependents.
The call to the training camps
should be made i'm accordance with
these classes and each class should be
exhausted before the next class would
be called upon. Where the total num-
Der required at the moment was less
than the total number of the calss
the call should be by lot, and in case
Of the failure of a class to furnish
sufficient men where enough ought to
exist, a draft from that class would be
made.
The term dependent" should be
carefully defined and clear proof be
required. The collecting Of each class
would be in the hands of civil boards.
The determination Of the fitness of in
divfdual men would necessarily be in
the hands Of the recruiting off1vers.
In case the necessity for great army
became apparent men over forty-five
and women could be put in training
to take the places of men In the In
dustrial Army and as fast as these
could be released they should be plac-
ed in their regular classes in accord
ance with the individual situation.
Only under extraordinary circum-
stances should a. man be permitted to
enlist in the regular forces ahead Of
his class, and once the system Is es-
tablished the recruiting problem is
settled. No person liable for mill
tary duty should be permitted to
leave the state in time Of war except
by direct permission and the move
ments Of every alien should be ac-
counted for.
The tribunals and executive boards
required by the plan should have a
definite standing in law either under
the extraordinary powers already
granted to your Excellency or by spe-
cific enactments as may be deemed
wise. No men liable for military SER
vice In the regular forces should be
permitted on the tribunals, and as
soon as the plan is in working order
men Of military age on the executive
boards should be replaced by men
past military age. With or without
civilian reserve the result is the same.
The only difference is that forced
service will be a grudging service
while voluntary decision once made
s~k~ IL - J~xl y ~ 49, nr4
and soul of the volunteer.
No thoughtful man can contem-
plate the future without misgfvings.
We stand on the threshold Of con-
flict with the first military power of
the world. It is a brave man or a
foolish one, that will dare to belittle
the magnitude of such a task. The
state and country must be reused to
an effort greater than any ever be-
fore required in their history. The
above plan or a similar one adopted
in Connecticut will be an example of
definite action. Every part Of this
plan has been tested by the experie-
ence Of other nations now at war and
we respectfully submit it for your
consideration and through you for the
consideration of the people of the
state.
Medical Director
DIR. Paul Waterman, as medical d.
rector, reported that the primary
need for medical service lay in the
necessity for determining the question
Of disability. It was ruled that 'seri-
Gus physical disability should be in
terpreted as disability interfering with
or preventing the performance of
ones usual occupation or of manual
labor, and claimed disability was
judged as nearly as possible from the
given on the blanks and
without personal examination, on this
basis It is recommended in this re-
port that any future census should
consider these three classes of ply
steal disability: No disability, imply
ing competence for civil occupation
and presumably for military duty; !
partial disability, implying compe-
tence for civil occupation but presum-
ably incompetence for military duty;
and complete disability. For this pur-
pose, it is recommended that this Sec
ton of the census blank be made 4
more specific. In addition to ruling on
claimed disability, the medical direc-