Middletown transcript., 1917-10-20
NEW DRAFT CALL
ABOUT NEW YEAR
Date May Be Fixed for Decem'
Der or January.
QUESTION BEING CONSIDERED
Room For One Or TWO more ne9''
ments At Each Camp-SoidIers
Not Debarred From Political
Meetings.

Washington.-Disc OF the ao
visibility of expediting the call for
the second increment of the selectlVe
draft army now is in progress at the
War Department, and it appears hKeiy
that the date may be fixed for some
time in December or January.
Mobilization of the first Increment
of 687, 900 men is now far enough ao-
yanced to show clearly that there Will
be a big deficiency for the II National
Army divisions. More than 250,ooo OF
the first increment are still to be as
sembled, but it is already evident that
there will be available 16 environments
quarters for an additional regiment al
each post and at some for a 1uii
brigade of two regiments.
The strength of the new reglmentai
organizations is $500 men. With a
regiment lacking at each cantOnment'
this alone would mean shortage OF
nearly $4,000 men. In addition, there
has been authorized separate dlvl-
sion of negro troops, which means
nearly 10000 men withdrawn from
the original number assigned to the
16 cantonments.
The shortage is due partially to the
necessity of taking out National Army
men to fill up National Guard d1Vl-
sions. Two complete National Army
divisions Of Southern troops have beef
absorbed in this way. The remnants
of three other Southern National
Army divisions will be consolidated
to form a single divisional unit, and
the surplus men from other camps
will be sent South to make up the
Aissing divisions.
Drafts on the National Army forces
also must be made to fill up the enlist
ed personnel of the aviation services,
the medical corps and the service bat
talions needed behind the fighting lines
abroad. Eventually there will be $780,
900 men in the last named service
alone, the aviation and the medical
service will take nearly as many more,
though not all of them will be taken
from the national army.
Operating to delay the calling out of
the second increment to make good
tn .se shortages are several factors.
Clothing and equipment is coming for
ward only at rate that can meet the
demands of the forces already called,
and the railways of the country have
been overburdened with the job of
moving The army and its necessities
without hindering freight shipments
vital to the Allies.
Fixing the date Of the call for the
second increment probably hinges also
upon the careful study being made by
Provost Marshal General Crowder and
his assistants of the results of the
plan followed in assembling the men
called first. Many questions have
arisen which it may be desired to
avoid hereafter, and substitute regu-
lations to guide both local and district
boards, prepared in the light of what
actual experience taught, may be is
sued to govern the second CALL
Citizen soldiers in the National
Al my training camp cantonments will
not have to forego the privilege of at
tending political meetings this fall.
Secretary Baker announced that he
had approved an order by Major-Gen-
eral ]. Franklin Bell commanding at
Camp Upton, N. Y, permitting political
in camp under proper reg
ulations and that the ruling would
apply to all the camps.