The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1918-06-05
man POWER DESIRED,
even TO SIS YEARS

ward full utilization OF the country
man power was made here when Sec
rotary Baker sent to the Congress
Z the draft of a bill proposing to raise
the maximum age limit for volun-
tary enlistment in the army from 40
to So years. All men beyond 40 so
enlisted would be assigned to nom
combatant service.
In letter to Speaker Clark, ask
ingthat the bill be pushed, Secretary
Baker said:
Every man above the age of 40
years, who is enlisted in non-combat-
ant branches of the service will make
available for duty with the line
troops a man within the prescribed
age limit for all troops.
MANY men whose long experience
as merchanics and artisans will make
them particularly valuable to the
various staff corps and departments
may be thus secured, instead of the
younger men without such expert
ence, and that the efficiency of the
staff corps and the departments thus
will be increased"
Thousands Anxious To Serve.
There are probably 10000 men
between the ages of 40 and 55, and
many thousands of them already at
tested their desire to serve by bonn
harding the department with appli-
caions. While he great majority of
the men in this class undoubtedly
will be restrained from enlisting by
family and business ties, the number
at liberty to join the colors is expect
ed to be more than sufficient to meet
the purpose in view.
.-..-.. Staff corps positions include. many.
duties behind the front. Every
headquarters unit includes positions
for which the older men would be
just as we'll suited as the present oc-
cupants who, under the new plan,
be released for line duty.
Official estimates are that a mod
ern army to be maintained as an eff
cient unit must have between 40 and
As per cent of its actual strength on
duty behind the fighting zone. This
means that of the first 100000
mensent to France, 100000 serve
along the line of communication, in
hospitals or at the various headquar-
tiers and debarkation bases.
Sweeping i'm Character.
The far-reaching character of the
new work or fight" regulations un-
der which the Government proposes
to put every man of draft age into
some useful employment or into the
army probably will not be realized
fully by the country until the effects
of its operation appear in every COM
munity.
The sweeping character of the
Governments purpose to put every
able man or draft age either into the
army or some useful occupation is in
dicated by Provost Marshal General
Crowder's official announcement, but
inasmuch as every case will come up
for determination on it's merits as
the operation of the regulation goes
forward it will become apparent that
the scope of the Governments action
practically is limitless.
The outgrowth of the plan con-
ceived and known as putting the
nation to work." the new regula-
lions probably will be applied more
and more closely as the war goes on,
or until it becomes necessary to
raise the draft age above thirty-one.
Military authorities are of the opin
ion now that it will not be necessary
to raise the draft age and that the
man power of the nation is sutIici-
ent If those now of draft age are
utilized fully.
Drives Idlers To Work.
The first effect of the new regu-
lations will be 10 drive idlers to
work or into the army. Moreover,
it will be the idler's own responsi-
bility to get a useful jon before July
l. Then will come the determjna-
ton of what constitutes useful en-
pigments and this, II is pointed o"t,
will come in for closer and closer de-
termination as the war goes on. An
employment reasonably useful under
present conditions nightly the de-
velopments of the war, come to be
regarded as useless IN comparison
with the greater needs of the war.