Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1918-01-10
Increase Of Age From 81 to As
Years Is Forecast By Crow
der In Report
Will Be NEEDED TO AID
Draft of Older Men Would Be Mainly
For Skilled War Labor But Also
To Distribute Burdens of
Conflict. Es

Washington, Jan. 7.-Provost Mar
hensive report to the secretary of
war, says that an increase in the
draft age to 40 or As years is one of
the probabilities of the future"
The draft of the older men should
be mainly for skilled labor, but also
to distribute the burdens of the a
Youth Plentiful.
There are plenty of young men for
the first line fighting, Crowder had
shown, but ne also points out there is
a danger Of "injuring the coming gen.
Grafton" by taking away too many OF
the Progressively patriotic young
men"
Out of the 10,6S3,249 men between
the ages Of 81 and 35, Crowder esti-
, mates 3,525,472 are unmarried and
that 80 per CEN of the latter figure,
or ~1,3S9,3SS, would be accepted for
service under the present regulations.
Best Soldiers Are Young.
Advocating tlis legislation, Crow
der said:
"The younger men are. generally
deemed to make the soundest and
most pliable military material. 'Gn
the other hand, the older men are
more likely to yield in large numbers
the occupational skill so necessary in
the varied compositions of the mod
ern army.
"Under the national selective sarv-
ice system, which seeks to distribute
the burden equally among the will
ing and unwilling, it is important,
if not essential, to include the older
men because the smaller proportion
of them is likely to enlist"
Position Advantageous.
Under the new system a card in
dex will be compiled in Washington
after the questionnaires are all re-
turned. In this way the government
will be able to put its finger on men
in certain trades just when they are
needed.
The whole labor problem can thus
be controlled" Crowder pointed out.
Adjustments in order that this
nation may be in the most advanta-
geous position ever occupied by a
belligerent power in wary would then
be possible"
Thousands Fail to Appear.
Fifty thousand real slackers in the
United States is Provost Marshal
General E. H. Crowder's estimate in
his report to Secretary N. D. Baker.
That calculation supposes that 10
men in each registration district
have escaped service without being
caught. 4
While & few more than 25G,O0O Of
the more than 5000, 900 registered
Elen failed to appear when called for
examination General Crowder eSti.
mates leaves about $4,000 real slack.
into military service without notify.
ing local boards.
This leaves more than 10000 to
be accounted for" says the provost
marshal general.
76,545 Aliens in Army.
General Crowder estimates 100000
probably are aliens. This he esti,
mates leaves about $4,000 real slack.
ers to be accounted for. Only a few
more than 10000 have been identified
and a few more than 1000 have been
prosecuted.
The report shows that 92S Ger
J mans Of draft age have been accepted
for service in the national army. A
total Of 74,161 enemy aliens were &C.
+, copied, the remainder being Aus.
TRANS or Trn sarians. The enemy
ellen registration was 279,431, OF
whom 1O4,672 we're called to produce
the ID, 1G1 accepted. All aliens &C.
cepted make a total of 76,545