Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-05-28
CREATING AN ARMY
How the Great American Democracy
Solved the Problem.

tslCy OF Nu,OUO.Ouu Sn;llI StltCt NS army
has been solved in this war. We have
never solved il before. The cherished
Ivicw that II can u" done by purely
voluntary system was exploded in our
lCiyil war. and its failure was confirm
I'd in the experience Of Great Britain.
The effective. the just. the demo
cratic method is 10y the sclcctivr draft.
Secretary Baker and President Wilson
were in the outset opposed Ia this. hut
they were convinced OF their error.
ana 10 them and a part of their fol-
lowers In congress and to the Repuh-
lican minority We owe the great boon
out ahating in the slightest the credit
Of those who put through the bill, II
ia not too much 10 say that the real
inventor Of the system. the man who
has done more than any other one per
son in the government practically To
carry IL out. is Major General Enoch
| II. Crowdcr. the judge advocate gem
cral of the United States. General
1
aration for the work. \ graduate of
| West Point and az officer In the cav
airy OF the regular army. h" studied
law and hrcam" n member of the bar.
Ills aptucsS in the profession led In his
transfer tn the Judge advocates de-
partmcnt. When Major General Me
Arthur was military governor Of tn"
| Philippines and had thrust on him the
quasi civil duty and responsibility of
| formulating rules of government AMI
| lrXrcuting them. he made COL Crowdrr
military secretary of the government
and Colonel crowdcr there developed
Il facility for formulating rules and
plans for the regulation or a civil
community under a military govern
mcnt that spoke the real jurist and
statesman. When IL became ncccs-
sary TO take over the Cuban govern
mcnt after its first stumble, and tn
provide new laws In that country
which should ohviatc the difficulties
| that had brought disaster. especially
| in tho matter OF elections. General
| Crowdcr was summoned hy tho srcrr-
| tary Of war TO take charge of lcgisla
tion in that island. After two years
he formulated most OF the laws which
have had successful operation ever
since. and have secured the prosperity
of that gem OF the Antilles.
| When We declared war and tho QIIcs-
tion Of the proper method Of raising
an army was before the war depart
mcnt. tho general staff was consulted
and so was the judge advocate g"ncr-
| al. They both submitted plans and
General Crowdcr's was adopted; and
| the action of tn" administration In
adopting II has been triumphantly vim
dicatcd by the result. As provost mar
shal general. General Crowdcr has is
sued all the regulations and formulat-
ed all the machinery by which our
drafted army has been selected and
fcaiTed.- n rs Il mbsr pleasing instance
OF trained fitness to dwell upon.
Now for the results. In dcvising the
mechanism needed. General Crowdcr
showed his broad vision and complete
confidence In tho self governing ca
pacity Of the American people. He
called fer the voluntary action Of
state. county and city officials and for
/ tho formation Of committees OF unof-
| fetal PERSONS to execute the law.
Through these agents. in n marvellous
ly short time, nearly ton millions OF
men between twenty one and thirty
one were registered. Exemption
boards. 1900 in number. and district
boards. 200 in number, with tho duty
of selection and examination. were
created. and the amount OF free and
valuable service rendered by them
speaks volumes for the patriotic spirit
| Of their numbers. Under tho first call.
which was OF tho first increment Of
500. 900 authorized in the law. 100000
were selected and $4,000 In specially
drafted units. This was the now laws
| contribution to tho present army.
which numbers with the regular army
and the National Guard. 900. 900. This
is the army that has been training
| since September. 1917. and Is tho army
which is now being hurried To
Franco.
After the rush was over. the provost
marshal general took steps to secure
better organization and more detailed
and useful information In respect Ia
the registered mon. BY n system OF
qucstionnaircs. Of most searching
character. n complete classification Of
tho then uncalled rcgistrants was
brought about. so that now We know
who are available for the army ut
once and who. in successive order OF
availability. can bo called. The ans
wcring OF these qucstionnaircs was an
enormous task. The aid Of lawyers
throughout the country was invoked.
and generously and ably did tho pro-
fcssion give it's service. Speaking gem
orally. the classes were: (a) Unmar-
ricd men without dependents and mar
ricd men who had no useful occupa-
tion: b) married men with or with
out children. not dependent. uscfully
engaged: (c) married men with dcpcn-
dent kin; I'D married men with de-
pendent families: te) those exempt by
law and tho physically unfit.
In round numbers there were 2.400.-
900 in Class a. OF these 100000 were
sent to camps last fall after the first
call. 100000 have been called for April
and May: 100000 will be called before
January /. 1919. so that We shall have
an army OF 100000 men by that
time. This will reduce the uncalled OF
Class A to 100000. The law requiring
those who have reached their majority
since the passage Of the conscription
act of May IS. 1917, will add to Class
A at least 100000 eIigibles. Thus the
number in Class 4 will become 1,500.-
900 again by January. 1919. II new
registration OF the men becoming 21
in May. 1919 Is had In that year, there
Il