The Washington herald., 1918-06-19
AGESFORDRAFT
CERTAIN TOBE
WIDER
Baker Favors Any Change
Necessary to Raise
Large Army.
CROWDER WOULD HAVE
LIMITS OF Is TO As
Control Of Labor for War
Industries Enters
Into Question.
CLASS l MAY BE USED UP
BEFORE END OF THIS YEAR
Estimate of 100000 Fighters
Obtainable from Added
Resistrant,.
CROWDER WOULD HAVE
LIMITS OF Is TO As
CLASS l MAY BE USED UP
BEFORE END OF THIS YEAR

The draft age limits will be extend
ed, probably to IS and Is. Secretary
of War Baker finally has been pur-
suaded that this step Is necessary.
He announced yesterday that he will
approve any change In the selective
service act necessary to raise an
army Of the required size.
American and allied military lead
ers now are convinced that the Unit
ed States must place an army Of at
least 500, 900 men in the field. If vic
tory Is to be won This will be pos
sible with the proposed extension of
the age limits put into effect
Secretary Baker was won over to
the plan at a conference with Provost
Marshal General Crowder. The Sec
retary's consent to the change re-
moves the last obstacle in the path
of the Army General Stairs move to
bring the proposal before Congress at
an early date 1t Is possible that the
question will not come up until late
in the faIl. but It 10 believed favor
able action by Congress win be OBJ
talHed before the close OF this year.
President Favorable.
The approval of Secretary Baker is
taken to indicate a similar attitude
by President Wilson. The War De-
partment, therefore. is convinced that
Congress viii enact the necessary
legislation without lengthy debate.
Provost Marshal General Crowder
has favored an extension Of the draft
ages for several months. No official
action looking to a revision in the
law was taken. however, because
Secretary Baker opposed the proposed
extension.
There has been some division of
opinion as to whether the ages should
be extended for the purposes OF bring
ing under government control labor
needed for war industries. or whether
the draft system should be developed
solely to produce more fighting men.
General Crowder believes the extern
sion is necessary for both purposes.
When General Crowder is called
upon for an official opinion, he will
recommend that the new limits be
from IS to Is. it Is understood. The
draft machine has been perfected TO
the point where it can easily take
care Of the additional task.
Drain on Class 1.
The change in draft ages is necessi-
tated by the tremendous drain made
on Glass 1 during the past several
months. when calls far exceeding
original estimates were made. Not
more than $4,000 additional fighting
men are expected to be secured by the
registration of the 2f-year-old men,
the recombing of the deferred classi-
fcations, and the shifting to Class !
of all registrants who have married
since the selective service act was in
troduced.
Available fighting men under the
present age limits are expected to be
exhausted about January l. General
Crowder Is anxious to avoid inroads
on skilled Industrial and skilled farm
labor. and married men with familIe.
solely dependent upon their earning
power for livelihood. To do this the
age limits must be changed, accord
ing to a majority Of the local draft
boards.
The policy of the War Department
Is not to go into Glass until Class !
has been exhausted in all states
Available white men in Class / undel
CONTINUED ON PAGE TWO.