The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-02-20
Directions for Concentrate
ing Men Will Be Forward
ed to Exemption Boards
ALL TO BE TAKEN
FROM CLASS ONE
Plan Outlined Provides for a Constant
Stream of Men to the Cantonments
Each Week Until the Allotment of
100000 Is in Service.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2O-The second
draft will begin on or about May l.
Plans for assembling the men at the
rate of approximately 10000 q week
have been approved by Secretary of
War Baker and soon will be formally
transmitted to Provost Marshal Gen
crdl Crowder. Directions for concen-
trating the men viii be forwarded to
the local exemption boards within the
next few weeks. Each board will be
told the number of men it must send
to environments each week. The see
ond draft will differ in several respects
from the first draft. The plan out
lined provides for a constant stream of
men 20 the environments each week
until the allotment of 100000 is in the
service
The department will not wait for
a division of the first National army
to vacate cantonment before it bo-
gins assembling a division of the sec
ond National army at that cantonment
On the contrary, the members of the
first National army will be withdrawn
gradually and they win be replaced
by the men who viii compose the see
ond National army. The Withdrawals
have been in progress for several weeks
and a number Of the environments al
ready can accommodate from 10000 TO
10000 second draft men. This has led
some officials to advocate assembling
the second army not later than April
l., but Mr. Baker believes Nav ! bet
tor. it il no secret that il will be
next to impossible to send soldiers
overseas as rapidly in the next six
months. There are more soldiers I'm
this country now than can be sent to
France before next winter. One rca-
son Is because more and more ships
are being used for supplies and NUM-
tlons "a the number Of soldiers in
France increases.
An of the 100000 men of the sec
end Nationals win bc taken from class
J. General Crowder estimates that an
proXimatelv 100000 men have been
put in that class by the recent ques-
| tlonnaire. He expects at least 80 600
men to meet all requirements. In ad-
dition approximately 500. 900 qualified
men who have reached their majority
since the registration last June. will
bc available before summer. The leg
lslatlon making this class of men liable
for military service has not been en-
acted as vet, but plans are being made
10 expedite II. While there is some
talk OF including the 2l-year-old men
/ an the second draft, no authoritative
statement To this effect has been made.
| II Is probable they Will not he taken
unless it is found that men in class
] fall far short Of the estimates
Assembling by weekly iuqtallments
/ Is expected to eliminate MANY of the
unfortunate experiences of the first
/ draft No delay in caring for them or
supplying them with clothing and
I equipment is anticipated. 1t is possible
the early training will be under dircc-
/ tlon of Colder students now attending
the third officers training camp.
While most Of the important fea
/ lures have been decided, there are still
several matters to bc considered be
fore the President issues the formal
call. There is talk of sending the Na-
tlonalS now at the cantonment4 to the
] vacated National Guard and regular
army camps and also that many OF the
second Nationals viii I've assembled al
4 these camps, but no authoritative state
mcnt has been made. All of the de
tails viii be set forth in the oflicia
statement soon to Toe issued The tive
dig points alrcad.; decided are that tn,
second draft will begin not later than
May ] and the men will 90 to tn,
camps in incremcuts of Approximately
10000 a week.