Omaha daily bee., 1917-08-06
Enroll For Service NoW
Bp Frederic J. HaSkin

organization is a newly created division OF the
Department of Labor. 1t is preparing to solve
the enormous problem OF putting the nation on
war basis industrially. 1t wants every american
to put his name on the official rolls, with state
ment of what he can do and the assurance that
he is ready to do it.
It makes no difference whether you are
plumber or college president, truck driver or the
most expert OF scientists-here is the chance to
satisfy that desire OF yours, which has been grow
ing ever since April 2, to do your bit for your
country. With your name the rolls OF the
Public Service Reserve you can go about your
affairs with an easy mind, secure in the knowledge
that when you are needed you will be called for.
Enrolment in the Public Service Reserve does
not lessen any mans liability for military service.
1t is intended to find places for those who are not
called for active service, both the ones who are
over the age limit, those who are far down on the
draft lists, and those who are exempted by the
boards If man is serving his country more
effectively in his present capacity than he could
otherwise, then the Public Service Reserve will
leave him where he is II he is fit for work more
important and essential, he will be offered
chance to get it.
Two things are worth noting about this new
system. First it is sitting OF volunteers. lhe
men enrolled will be the men who come forward
and offer to serve where they can do most good.
So many thousands Of men have already done
this that some organization to take care of their
applications was absolutely necessary In the
next few months the number OF industrial volun-
teers will reach into the hundreds OF thousands,
If not into millions The Public Service Reserve
hopes to be able to put its finger on any man, or
any number OF men, needed in any department. or
any industry necessary to the successful conduct
of the war.
The second point to be noted is, that the filing
Of your application for membership in the Public
Service Reserve will not necessarily be followed
by the offer of a new position the next day, For
the moment the government has more offers to
serve than has positions. There has as yet been
only mere beginning OF the expansion OF the
administrative Offices that the war will surely
bring. The draft has not yet cut into the labor
supply. Offers of service exceed the demand
And yet If anything is certain, 1t is certain that
within the next few months men will be needed
by the tens OF thousands. There will be general
shift in the industrial situation. Certain neces-
sary industries will expand. and they will have to
draw on other industries for men. The way to
bring about this reorganization with minimum
of waste efficiency is to have on file at central
headquarters the names of hundreds of thousands
OF workmen, along with an exact statement of
what they are doing and what they arc able to do.
This is very critical period in the war from
an industrial and administrative standpoint The
executive departments and the necessary indus
their expansion is only beginning They will
need those men in three months, in six months,
in a year. But the men are volunteering now,
and they want TO be accepted right away. A
typical case is man who writes from New Eng
land, enclosing half dozen letters from great
corporations testifying to his executive ability
II have written twice already" he says, to the
Council of National Defense, Il would like to be
OF service to the government at once"
This is an instance of what we are doing"
said an official of the Reserve. This man is not
needed today. In few months it is highly prob
able that we will want him badly. But by that
time we would lose track OF him., and he might
feel diseruntled as we'll We ask him TO become
a member of the Reserve. Then he can have the
consciousness of having done his duty, and when
the day OF need comes we can notify him at once
The Public Service Reserve is analogous in
the industrial field to the Derby recruiting scheme
in England in the military field. The arrival of
a crisis is invariably accompanied by wave Of
fine enthusiasm that swamps the administrative
Offices with offers of service. The Offices how
ever, need time to expand their organization and
the necessary industries before they take care
of the rush. And while that time is passing the
precious enthusiasm coos. This is human nature.
In England the recruiting Offices were
swamped. Men were turned away for lack of
facilities to handle them. They went back to
work, and after a time tried to enlist again. If
tAey laileQ second Time tney were likely 10 stay
at home in the future. Lord Derby conceived the
scheme of accepting and enrolling all who ap-
piled and sending them to their homes to await
the call. The scheme was tremendously success
full. Over 100000 men were recruited under it..
The Public Service Reserve is doing the same
thing here and now. 1t is enrolling any man who
applies When the time comes it will call on him.
1t offers every man chance to do his bit.
The Public Service Reserve is we'll organized
and has already taken over classified lists of
names from various sources numbering many
thousands. Yet it is only the beginning OF greater
things as anyone can see who has considered the
tremendous war problem of labor. The applica-
ton for membership is rather fine thing in its
straightforward patriotic appeal. Here it is:
Il hereby apply for membership in the United
States Public Service and ask it to register in its
records the accompanying description Of my
training, experience, aptitudes and capacity for
service. Whenever the United States Public
Service Reserve learns of need in public or pri-
vate employment for man of my qualifications /
request it to notify me with full particulars, in
cluding duties and compensation, and thereby af-
ford me an opportunity to assist under TIE aus
pices of the Reserve | make this application be-
cause desire practical opportunity in this war
emergency to contribute personal service ~ doing
work that will aid the general welfare" This is
followed by blanks for full description of the
applicants present position and training Re-
quests for application blanks should be addressed
to the United States Public Service Reserve, De-
partment OF Labor, Washington, D. c.