The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-11-23

operations on the field of battle. But
certainly no man can urge in this day
of trial and sacrifice that this Nation
should deliberately neglect to make
itself effective in the field Of mill
tary operation on the plea that our
greatest contribution to the cause of
humanity is in attaining an economic
supremacy. To do so would be to rel
egate the United States to the role of
sutler of the fighting nations. We
shall, Of course, increase our produc-
tion We shall become more and
more effective as Nation and we
shall supply our new armies and do
all that can be expected of us to
supply the armies of our allies But
we shall not, under that guise, con-
fine our participation In this conflict
to the baking of bread and the sharp
ening of the swords of other men. This
war will be won militarily on the de-
voted field of France. Doubtless it
will be won by the side which is able
to place behind it's army the prevail
ing ounce of provision. But the blow
that skaters the German line and ex-
tinguishes autocracy from the face Of
the earth will be the blow of mans
right arm and not the insidious stroke
hf q Sbroud fra1ar
Our Selection Boards have done a
great thing for this Nation, but they
must do a greater thing. The task
accomplished is scarcely one-tenth
the Importance of the task which re-
mains before YOU For this great
work there stands here a national
system, called into being three
months ago and erected almost like
Aladdin's palace, in night. There
are nearly $4,000 members of local
and district boards. With their as
sistants there are considerably over
twice that number of persons engaged
"a greater numerical force than is
contained in combatant division of
soldiers. They are pioneers. They
have blazed their own path. They
are trained in the work and familiar
with the law. They have become an
essential and highly specialized and
important part of the war organiza-
ton of this Nation. The Selective
Service System is as essential to that
organization as is the Army which it
produces. 1t is the balance between
the military and the industrial need
of the Nation and stands as source
Of supply to one and a shield of pro-
duction to the other. 1t can not be
replaced. Any break in its ranks
would be an act of even greater harm
to the Nation than accrues when a
soldier abandons his regiment or q
sailor his ship. 1t would be as mex.
cusable to dismiss, disrupt or re-
place this organization as to attempt
to replace or dismiss division on the
field Of France. Most of you are
without the military age yet you may
canvass the field Of all that you could
have done to serve your country out
side Of the fighting forces and you
will find no more valuable thing than
what you are doing.
The examination of the first $500,
900 registrants has taken you from
your occupations and the winning oil
your daily bread. No one knows bet
ter than | the burdens you have
borne under our new and necessarily
crude system.
AS we built and bolstered during
[ the early organizational period
| would shudder whenever necessity
t demanded that send out to the over
, burdened boards new rulings, amend
Z ments, orders, and yet it became clear
, er and clearer that we must retaiI
+. the services of all for this new ant
greater task.
/ The conclusion was overwhelming
The whole system must be revised IL
| the light of our experience. The bur
dens must be made bearable-
, lives of members of election Board!
, livable ! called some members o
, boards from various parts Of the
country to Washington and went care
! fully over the situation. We evolved
| new plan for the process Of selec
!. ton
[ This brings me to the most pleas
urable part of the message | have fol
) you. With all the urgency of you
, country's call upon you, | feel that i
: could not come here with promise
/, of your deliverance from the over
5 whelming demands we have made up
) on you, | should hesitate to ask yol
: Continued on Page g..