Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-08-12
VOLUNTEERS ARE BARRED
BY WAR DEPARTMENT
Congress Expected to Apthorhe
Change Favored by Secre-
tary Baker.
REASONS FOR VOLUNTEERING
Sentiment Now EXISTS In Capital for
abandoning System in Naval
branches to Improve Military Ser
vice of Nation.
Especial to The Times-Dispatch.]

Especial to Tho Times Dispatchl
WASHINGTON. August 1l-Legisla
ton closing the doors to all volunteer.
for military service during the period
OF the war may BIO the outcome OF
the proposal OF the War Department
that the draft ages be SO extended that
all the man power needed to compose
the new armies can be secured through
tho processes of selection.
1t Is generally believed in Wash.
ington to-day that the Secretary OF
War. speaking for the administration
Will urge tho abandonment Of tho
whole volunteer system. and IL he does
there can be little doubt that Congress
VIII respond favorably. Already there
Is strong sentiment in both the House
and Senate in favor OF placing the
entire military establishment upon .
selective basis. There is some senti-
ment. moreover. In favor Of doing tho
same thing with respect to the navy
and marine corps
An important step toward making
tho selective system the sole source of
man power for fighting purposes was
taken when the Secretaries OF War and
the Navy issued joint order the
other day suspending all voluntary
eniistments pending action by Con-
Sress upon the new amendments to
the selective service act True. this
action was taken primarily to pre-
vent stampede of men presumed to
be affected by the extension Of the
draft ages to the navy and other re-
cruiting Offices
Thousands upon thousands OF men.
most OF them OF the older classes.
foreseetng an extension of the age
to forty-fve have rushed to the re-
cruiting Offices within the past few
days In an effort to volunteer. thereby
entering the branch OF the service
which appeals to them most. But this
sudden Increase in enlistments is sc.i-
ously affecting many vital industries
and many other government activities
And to that extent 1t is defeating the
fundamental purposes OF selection. The
immediate result has been n halt In
all volunteering by executive order,
and the ultimate result may be the
closing OF every army recruiting sta
tion. even IL those OF the navy arc
left open.
There are some sound reasons why
the navy should continue to recruit
its personnel from volunteers. y very
large proportion OF its men come from
the coasts or the Great Lakes Many
of them are fair sailors before they
go into the service. They know which
side of a ship Is the Starboard, which
end Is the stern and the difference
between ferry-boat and a private
schooner. 1t might prove unfortunate
IL the navy were deprived OF such ma
terial as that. through the application
OF any rigid statute, and naval auth
critics may be expected to oppose any
program which prohibits the &C
ccptancc of volunteers
But the same considerations do NOT,
in any sense, apply to the army. In
the first place. the whole body OF
naval seamen is made up Of volun-
teers Far less than half OF the men
now wearing the army uniform con-
ssts OF volunteers. even when the
original regular army and National
Guard are included. And the propor
ton of army volunteers will steadily