Omaha daily bee., 1918-09-22
M'ADOO TO ASK
ExEMp ton FOR
RAILROAD NE n
Director General Of Transit
Companies Urges Employees
to Claim industrial
Classification.

Exemption from military service
tor all skilled railroad employees af-
fected by the new draft will be rel
quested by William G. McAdoo, d.
rector general of the railroad admin
istration, on the ground that their
retention in that service is essen
tial to the successful conduct of the
war. This announcement was con-
tanned in an advance copy of a cir
cular signed by the director general
which soon will be forwarded to all
regional directors of railroads.
Another circular, an advance COPY
of which just arrived here, addressed
10 railroad employees and asking
them to claim exemption On indus
trial grounds, also will soon be
mailed to railroad workers.
No Surplus Employees.
Excerpts from the note addressed
to regional directors. follow:
Please state to the district board.
with my full authority, that after
eight months OF thorough and con-
tlnuing study of this subject ++"*++
that there is no surplus whatever of
employees for running the railroads
and there is no surplus supply of
labor from which new employees can
be drawn to replace those who may
be taken for military service.
The government Of the United
States has taken possession and con-
troll Of the railroads as a war meas
ure, and their efficient and unham.
pered operation is indispensable to
the successful conduct of the war.
I'm such circumstances the men
who are necessarily employed in
rail transportation in this country
are as truly employed in an indis-
pensable war service as are our SOL
diers and sailors.
Any competent railroad employee
taken from an indispensable branch
of the railroad service will be sub
tracted from a force which is al
ready too small and which cannot
be adequately replenished.
Not Suited TO Women.
The taking of such employees by
any district board would be a step
tending to injure the war operations
of some railroads."
Apparently anticipating sugges-
tons for the substitution of such
employees by women workers, the
director general continues:
Practically without exception
these employments are not suited to
women, but able-bodied and vigor-
Gus men are needed for the dis.
charge Of the duties. These are not
available in adequate numbers and
will become less and less available
as the. war progresses. ,-.,
ITO the extent that railroad men
can be spared from railroad service
for military service We ought to
spare them, but to the extent that
they are needed for railroad service
the district boards should not at
tempt to take them for military
service. .'--'"
Strive to Win War. :.
1--WE are all striving for the same
end, and that is to win the war"
In his letter to employees, Mr.. Nc
Adoo declares that it is the patriotic
duty of railroad workers to claim
exemption; that every man who is
helping in these necessary occupa-
tons to operate the railroads in this
country is rendering not only serv-
lice indispensable to the war, but
service that is as praiseworthy and
creditable as any war service could
be.
The director general also suggests
that employers should closely scru-
tinize employees answers in their
questionnaires and if through mis-
taken chivalry. no exemption has
been claimed, proper representations
to secure the registrants' military
release from the district board
hor1d he made