Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-08-07

an industrial and administrative standpoint Inc
executive departments and the necessary indus
tries are going to need large numbers of men, but
their expansion is only beginning. They will need
those men in three months, IN six months, in
year. But the men are volunteering now, and they
want to be accepted right away. typical case is
a man who writes from New England enclosing
half dozen letters from great corporations testl-
flying to his executive ability. Il have written
twice already, he says, to the Council of National
Defense, 81 would like to be of service to the gov
eminent at once"
This is an instance of what we are do
ing" said official of the reserve: This man is
not needed today. In few months, it is highly
probable that we will want him badly. But by thas
time would lose track of him, and he might feel
disgruntled as we'll. We ask him to become a
member of the reserve. Then he can have the con-
seriousness 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
crisis is invariably accompanied by a wave OF hne
enthusiasm that swamps the administrative of1ces
with offers of service. The offices, however, need
time to expand their organization and the neces-
sary industries before they can take care of the
rush And while that time is passing, the precious
enthusiasm cools. This is human nature.
In England the recruiting offices were
swamped. Men were turned away for lack of facil-
tiles to handle them. They went back to work,
and after a time tried to enlist again. IL they
failed a second time, they were likely to stay az
home in the future. Lord Derby conceived the
scheme of accepting and enrolling all who applied,
and sending them to their homes to await the
call. The scheme was tremendously successful
public service is doing the same thing here
and 1t is enrolling any man who applies.
When the time comes, it will call him. 1t offers
every man chance to do his Bit
withal, its sole purpose is to serve the war
interests of the nation That it satisfies the patr-
ohord nf M
their share in the is merely incidental. 1t Is
established to furnish the government and the war
industries with the men they need, with mimi
mum inconvenience to the country and to Indus
try at large Some agency for this purpose was alb
solutely necessary. 1t takes only modicum OF
foresight to foresee the tremendous growth des-
tined for certain branches Of the central govern
ment Take one single little instance from Great
Britain-the central administrative bureau Tor the
design and manufacture of grenades and minor
trench weapons alone employs ten thousand peo-
pie!
The public service reserve Is we'll organized.
and has already taken classified lists Of names
from various sources numbering many thousands.
Yet it is only the beginning Of greater things, as
any one can who has considered the tremen-
dous war problem of labor. The application for
membership is rather fine thing, in its straight
forward; patriotic appeal. Here 1t is:
s.T barebv anpIv for membership in the United
States public service and ask 1t to register in its
records the accompanying description of my train
ing, experience, aptitude anu capdciIy lof selFco
Whenever the u. s. public service reserve learns
of a need in public or private employment for
man of my qualifications, request 1t to notify
me with full particulars, including duties and
compensation, and thereby afford me an opportu-
nifty to assist under the auspices of the reserve.
make this application because desire practical
opportunity in this emergency to contribute
personal service by doing work that Will aid the
general welfare" This is followed by blanks for
full description of the applicants present position
and training. Requests for application blanks
ShO ha addressed u, =.
Reserve Department of Labor, Washington. D. c.