The Washington herald., 1918-08-16
HENCE, 5000, 900 MORE
WILL REGISTER IN SEPT.
To Get Them the Age Limit
Must Be Extended to l8
and IS Years.
PLANS FORMING FOR
ENROLMENT BY BOARDS
Baker Praises Ensland's Co-opera-
ion in Taking Troops Overseas
as Great Help.

of the original selective service
act, will have been entirely ex-
hausted by October 1.
The War Departments man
power program requires that p
100000 more men qualified for
full military service be made i'm
mediately available.
Serious interruption in the flow
of American troops to France
with the consequent handicap to
the battle plans of the allied lead
ers-will result, unless the now
nearly depleted reservoir Of draft
eligibles is replenished at the ear
hest possible moment.
Approximately 100000 men
must be added to the present list
OF registrants in order that, with
all exemptions allowed, at least
100000 fit-to-hght men will re-
main in Class I.
This required number OF men
may be had only by including
within the draft age limits men
between 81 and IS and between
. IS and 20.
, This was the situation outlined
by Provost Marshal General
Crowder last night
To Question Is,0o0.0oo.
IF the bill as introduced, is passed"
says the Provost Marshal General, "it
will be necessary. between the date of
its passage and October l, to register
aad begin to classify by QUESTIONABLE
100000 men not heretofore included
in the draft age limits; or approx
mateIy one and one-third as many men
as were registered on June 5. 1917.
And, when this has been done, draft
calls upon the new Class / must start
to fiH the places in the training camps
of those men going to France.
Assurance having been given that
the legislation will receive immediate
consideration upon the assembling Of
the House and Of the Senate, this Of
fee. in its preliminary. instructions
sent out to draft executives in the
various States. has proceeded on the
assumption that the new registration
might be held early in September. II.
for example. the bill Is passed by Au-
gust 81, or soon thereafter. it would
be necessary for the Presidents proc
lamation to fix a registration date as
soon as possible. allowing ample time
to be given for posting of his pTocla
nation in every region of the coun-
try.
May Register Sept. 5.
Thus, registration day might be as
early as September 3. or shortly there
after. To have the first installment of
the new Class l ready for camp by Oc-
tober. It would be necessary to have
the registration not later than Sep
tember Is. In any event, it is obvious
that we cannot wait until the act is
passed before beginning the prelimi-
nary work In this vast undertaking"
The existing draft machinery is to
be used, with such increased facilities
and additional registers as appear
likely to be required for the larger
enrolment. Local boards already
have been instructed to proceed with
the extension of their working forces.
Baker Credits Great Britain.
Secretary Baker emphasized the fact
yesterday that there will be no let
up in the accelerated program of the
War Department to get troops to
Europe from the old draft and new
draft.
The War Department has no doubt
that the assistance OF Great Britain
in the transportation Of men will be
continuous and that just as soon as
any camp Is emptied there will be
new draftees to go in, beginning soon
after october 1 to keep the creation
of the gigantic army needed abroard
an uninterrupted military operation.
From the viewpoints Of General
March, General Crowder and the
Secretary Of War. there will be
close to 100000 American COM
batant troops on the firing lines Of
all the war fronts by the end of
June, 1913.
Fine Cooperation
Secretary Baker, in the course Of
an informal talk took occasion to
emphasize the invaluable co-opera-
tion of Great Britain in the ship
ping Of troops overseas. Mr.. Baker
said that the draft program and
the plans of the War Department
were of such q character that the
shipment of troops Is going on
heavily and that because Of the very
great assistance Of Great Britain In
placing 50 much shipping at the
disposal Of the United States the ac-
CELEBRATED program would be contin-
uous.
The fact that a considerable pro-
portion Of the troops sent to Europe
had gone In English ships had been
sdyertsd to already by Bonar Law
in the house OF commons. Mr..
Baker characterized the aid of
Great Britain In this matter as a
"ine piece Of international co-opera-
tion." He had at one time enter
tained some fear that the demands
Ion Great Britain's shipping might
have made her large cooperation
doubtful. but that fear and doubt
he said had entirely disappeared,