Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 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.

Washington, Jan. 5.-Imcreasing
the draft age from 81 to 40 or As
years is one of the probabilities. OF
the FUTURE" according to Provost
Marshal General Crowder in his com.
pr4hensive report to the secretary of
war.
The draft of the older men should
De mainly for skilled labor, but also
to distribute the burdens of the war.
Youth Plentiful.
There are plenty of young men for
the first line fighting, Crowder had
shown, but he also points out there is
danger of "injuring the coming gen.
Grafton" by taking away too many OF
the Progressively patriotic young
men"
Out of the 1O,683,249 men between
the ages OF 81 and 35, Crowder esti-
mates 3,525,472 are unmarried and
that 80 per cent of the latter figure,
or 1,3S9,3Ss. would be accepted for
service under the present regulations.
Best Soldiers Are Young.
Advocating this legislation, Crow
der said:
1.-THE younger men are generally
deemed to make the soundest and
rlost pliable military material. On
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 cerv-
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 card in.
dex will be compiled in Washington
after the questionnaires are all re-
turned. In this way the government
will'b 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 thi.
nation may be in the most advanta.
geous position ever occupied by
belligerent power in war would then
be possible"
Thousands Fail to Appear.
Fifty thousand real slackers in the
United States is Provost Marshal
General E. H. Crowders 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
While few more than 100000 Of
the more t:lan 100000 registered
rlen 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.
"rhis 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.
mans Of draft age have been accerted
for service in the national army. A
total of 14,161 enemy aliens were &C.
cepted, the remainder being Aus.
TRANS or Hungarians. The enemy
alien registration was 279.431, OF
whom 104.672 were called to produce
the 14.161 accepted. All aliens &C.
cepted make total of 76,545