Omaha daily bee., 1918-03-13
$4,000 Draft Men
Called to Training
Camps March 29

tContinred From Page Onel
Gus step if the men in class were
called indiscriminately without regard
to the labor situation in agriculture.
Therefore the local boards will be di-
rected TO fill their quotas in the order
OF liability OF men in class as de-
termined by the national drawing, ex-
cept that where it is shown that a
registrant is completely and assidu-
ously engaged in the planting, cultiva-
lion or reaping of a crop, his call to
the colors shall BE deferred to Nle
foot of the quota of his board as long
as he continues to be so engaged.
Inducted For Idleness.
Whenever any registrant, whose
call to the colors has been deferred
by reason of his engagement in agri-
culture, is shown to have been idle on
the farm on which he is engaged, or
to have trifled with the deferment
that has been accorded him, the
boards will induct him into military
service if his order number has been
reached in the meantime. The effect
on the expedient is to grant furloug his
from service prior to actual call to the
colors to the men so greatly needed in
the production of this years crop.
This is not the only expedient that
is to be adopted to conserve the sup
ply of labor appurtenant to agricul-
ture and to mobilize all means for in
creasing the harvest for the agricul-
tural season of 1918.
There is now pending before con-
gress bill authorizing the secretary
of war to- grant furloughs, with or
without pay, to men in the army to
enable them to engage in industrial
and agricultural pursuits. These fur
loughs will be granted after consid-
Grafton of the circumstances of their
individual case in which they arise and
when the military situation is such
they can be granted without too great
disruption and disorganization of the
army or of any particular organization
of the army. A
Deferment for Ag. Students.
"As to further means to protect
agriculture new regulation has
been promulgated, authorizing agri-
cultural students in their senior years
in land grant colleges to enlist in
the enlisted reserve corps of the quar-
teNnaster's department, provided their
class standing is such, as to place
them in the upper third of their class.
BY this means it will be possible to
defer the draft cali Of such young
men in order to enable them to per-.
feet themselves as agriculturalists
and thereafter to protect them in
such services as it may seem that
they should perform in the best in
terests of the nation.
1T must be emphasized that this
is a war Of mechanics. The need of
the several armed forces for men
highly skilled in technical and me-
chanical pursuits is greater than in
any former war. Yet this need for
specially skilled men finds the ma
ton under a necessity for increasing
its production in almost every line
of industry. Withdrawals of men
from industry must be made and
these Withdrawals must take men who
might otherwise be deferred on ac-
count of their special qualifications
and skill. The necessary numbers of
such skilled men will be obtained in
one of three ways:
Use Special Skill.
First, men already in the military
service who have such special skill
will be taken from the line regiments
and assigned to the staff organiza-
tions and departments where Il cir
skill is needed Second, men classi-
fed by the selection boards, even
though they have been placed in a
deferred classification, will be with
drawn with great care and pa-ticu-
larly from the industries of the nation
for special service in staff coros end
Third, young men of
draft age with certain educational
qualifications will be inducted into the
service and sent to universities. col
leges and technical and secondary
schools to be instructed in techr cal
arts until they have acquired .rch
proficiency as will justify thef as
signment to the special units that
are being organized in conside'a able
numbers.
Asks Ten Thousand Skilled Artisans.
.a
'In accordance with this plan the
provost marshaL<general has al. eady
called upon. the states for some l0,-
900 skilled artisans, and will shortly
call upon the states for 10000 Young
men, graduates of grammar sch ocls.
who will be sent before the first of
April to various technical and o'ter
schools throughout the United States
for two months course of trairing.
Regularly thereafter, an increasing
stream of selected men win be sent
through educational and other train
ing institutions for this purpose"
Chinese Leader Warns