The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-08-19
Sec. Baker Says in Com
menting on Proposed
New Draft
BOYS OF 18 YEARS
TO BE CALLED LAST
Immediate Enactment Of the
Bill Is Declared to
Be Necessary

Washington, D. G., Aug. lo.--No gen.
eral exemption of married men simply
because of their married status is con
templated by the war department in pre-
pairing for the proposed extension of
draft ages, Secretary Baker declared to-
day in a statement before the House
military committee on the new admins
tration manpower bill.
Mr. Baker said his previous remarks
on this subject had been misconstrued,
and that married men who do not sup
port their families and who are not en-
gagged in useful occupations viii continue
to be called
There are many married men in the
country who ought to 60 and fight as
freely as single men" he added.
The war secretary, with General March
and Provost Marshal General Crowder
appeared before the House committee at
open hearings to reiterate their explana-
tion given the Senate that immediate
enactment Of the manpower bill is i'm
peratiye in order TO carry out the en-
larged war program.
Z There are two ways of prosecuting
to make every possible effort to do it
now and the other is to proceed some
what more leisurely and do it later The
obvious advantage from every stand
point, social, military, industrial and
economic, is to put forth every effort in
this country and win the war as soon as
possible"
Leaving an explanation of the man
power situation to General Crowder, the
secretary announced that because of OBJ
jections to calling boys Of is he had
planned to defer their call as long as pos
sible and would not object to placing a
provision in the bill making separate
class OF men between Is and l9 years
and for deferring calling them "ss far as
practicable" until after others in class |
had been exhausted.
There is a sentiment in this commit
tee" said Mr.. Baker, Il don't know how
large, against calling men as young as
is unless it is absolutely necessary.
think the sentiment of the country is to
get all the men necessary. But from the
beginning have planned as a matter of
regulation, to have men from is to 10
put in a separate class, with a view to
deferring their call until it is necessary" !"
He added that this preference might well
be left to executive regulations, but he
would have no objection to having spe-
cific provision written into the bill
Regarding exemption of married men,
Secretary Baker was closely examined by
committee members. Representative Til
son Of Connecticut suggested that many
men are being married to evade the new
draft, and that the bill should provide
that those married after the new bill was
introduced, should not be exempt Mr.,
Baker said such rigid provision Of the
law was unnecessary; that the depart
ment could disregard all marriages made
to eyade the new law.
As to how long before men called un-
der the new law win go across, Mr.. Bak
er said not more than six months train
ing would be given at home.
In extending the draft ages, Secretary
Baker said, suspension Of academic edu-
cation is an 'unsolyed problem" of the
situation, and that il would be most un-
fortunate to have all collegiate education
stopped. He believed there still would be
many youths left at school, but was
against exemption of college students as
a class as thoroughly undemoeratic." !"
Scientifically trained experts, however,
are needed and education of such men
must be continued to an extent Men in
iured in the war would be sent to col
leges after they recover, the secretary
explained, and thus to some extent fill up
academic institutions. Regarding pres
ent exemption of divinity students, he
said, their draft for army chaplains is
being urged
The departments plans, Mr.. Baker
said, are to call all the younger men by
the middle of next year--but substan-
italy after the school year is through.
General Crowder interjected that the
new program is expected to raise 2,300,
900 men by June 30 1919, and that it is
to call 100000 men by that
time,
Eighty American divisions of $4,000
men each, General March told the House
military committee to-day, SHOULD be
able to bring the war to successful
conclusion in 1910" That is the number
the war department plans to have in
France by next June 30