The Monticellonian., 1917-05-24
METHODS IF DRAFT
HOW THE GREAT ARMY WILL BE RAISED BY SELEcTIVE
 CoNScRlPTfoN.
QUICK CENSUS TO BE TAKEN
Good Physical Condition and Lack of Dependent Relatives the Prime Requisites-First Half Million Will Constitute Finest of Armies.
By EDWARD B. CLARK.

hAtt uoCS IL uIeau9 IilOuSdHuS upon thousands of letters have been re- ceived by war department officials and by members of congress asking in ef- feet that question.
 It-is to the credit of young America that the vast majority of the letters of inquiry received from men of mili tary age have as their inspiration a desire to serve. There have been very few letters of inquiry showing any desire on the part of the writers to escape service if possible
 The United States government not only will take q quick census of the men subject to the provisions of the legislation, but one of the men who are likely to be ordered to the cOlors when it is necessary to raise another army. The young men will go first and then it may be that older men will be called upon. but the estimates are that two armies of 5o0,000 men can be raised without extending the age limits and without depicting the ranks of those whose services in agri- culture or in the factories are abso- utely essential, not only to the we'll being of the forces in the field but to that of the people at home.
 The Chief Requisites.
 The prime thing necessary for serv- ice is good physical condition. It must not be supposed from this that young men who temporarily are Il lit tie run down can expect to be released from service. There is nothing so up- building as open air exercise with good food and regular hours.
 After the physical condition of the men has been determined and per haps even before, inquiry will disclose whether or not they have persons de- pendent upon them for support. It is not the desire of the government to send men into the army if relatives are to become dependent upon the govern ment for their livelihood because of the removal of their Iivelihoods prop
 A good deal has been said about "conscript army" The new army will be conscripted. but the sting of conscription, if there be any such. will be removed. Nearly every French sol dier at the front today is conscript There are few Frenehmen who. way beyond the age limit, succeeded in in ducing the authorities to accept their services because they could show that despite their age they were as phys ieally capable as some of the much younger ones in the ranks.
 There is another thing which will. in large measure, do away with "con- scription" criticism. The government wants for it's first army men who have the volunteer spirit. It will not be strictly legal perhaps for disermina- ton to be made between the willing and the unwilling. It is not to be taken for granted, however, that the unwilling ones will say that they are unwilling except in some pronounced cases and in the cases of the arrant towards.
 The men with the real volunteer spirit, the heart desire to serve their country, army men think will make the thing so manifest that the shin ing spirit will compel attention to them, and the recruiting officers, or conscriptlon officers, if you wish so to call them, being human and willing to go against the point of least resist ance, unquestionably will give ardent youth the first chance.
 It is known that army officers be- lieve the first 100000 Americans to | Ha Tod %I,. the finest army physically and mental ly ever called to the country's stand ards. The United States has a con tinental population of nearly 100000 GOO people. To get from this huge number oOO,OOO stalwart youngsters is a comparatively easy task. It is thought that in the ranks of the first 50O,000 there will be probably 100000 men who have seen some kind of mili- tary training. It is also thought that among them will be thousands upon thousands who have had physical letics.
 Training in New Methods.
 In congress the opposition to the raising of an army on the universal liability to service plan gave no heed to anything except the main point in contention. Army officers do not say it out loud, but 1t is known they hold that the opponents of selective con- scription cannot see beyond the rear line of trenches in the homeland preparation camp.
 Lieutenant General Bridges of the British forces has said plainly that the best of England's youth, the men who have made good officers, volunteered at the outset of the war and bore the brunt of the fighting following the bat tie of the Marne, and suffered terrible casualties. The result was that the officer-making material was sadly de- pleted and when 1t came to raising other armies the men were lacking for instruction and for leading purposes.
 American army authorities from the very beginning have laid stress upon the necessity of training officers for the forces to be raised. The country read about the Officers Reserve corps