The Springdale news., 1918-08-09


 ''The order of the War Depart ment merging the National Army, the National Guard and the regular army into one army and the extension of the time men IS and 45 have been out to its logical conclusion. Up to the ] time men Is and 45 have been per mitted to enlist and have not been subject to draft. The new bill will straighten out these difficulties and tend to coordinate the whole system
 Senators of the Military Affairs Committee, who attended the regular weekly conference with General March this morning, discussed the bill ,Gith him briefly. He told the committee that there are still very many men in the cantonments and training camps and that the immediate requirements as to numbers will be not so great as had been anticipated
 16,000,00O Men Affected.
 The number of men affected by the new draft will be approximately l6,- 100000, according to an estimate to- day by War Department officials.
 The estimate made by Provost Mar shal General Crowder in his annual report to Secretary of War Baker put the figure at 13,770,312. The IS to 20 men, according to his reckoning will number 3,0s7, ,063 and those from 31 to 45, 10,6s3,249.
 Ninety-six per cent of the Is to 20 men are unmarried and are deem- ed to make the soundest and most pliable military material.
 Seventy-seven per cent of the men in the 31 to 45 classes are married. Other estimates by General Crowder in his annual report, tending to show the number of men who would be available for military service are as follows
 He fixes 3,525,472 as the number of single men in the 31-45 class. cut of which 39.4l per cent, or 1889, ,3SS would be fit material for the army.
 The single males in the 1920 class aggregate 2,963,581, out of which L. 167 ,547 are listed as aeeeptables. The percentage of aceeptables is also 39.41 per cent, based on the first draft. There is little doubt, however, there would be more in the 1920 class than in any other.
 The Probable Policy.
 At the time these estimates were made General Crowder also included statement, which may be regarded as the practicable policy that will guide the provost marshal generals office in the next draft. This is what he said:
 '1n considering the grounds of preferences for the three groups (which also included the men ap- preaching 2l, who are now registered) not now liable to service, conflicting considerations meet us.
 "The younger men are generally deemed to make the soundest and most pliable military material. On the other hand, the older men are more likely to in large number pos sess the occupational skill so neces- sary in the varied composition in the modern army
 Moreover, under the rational se- lective service system which seeks to distribute the burden equally among the willing and unwilling 1t is impor- tant, if not essential, to include the older men, because a smaller propor- tion of them are likely to enlist, l. e., to enter the army voluntarily without waiting the call of the law
 Quick Action Promised.
 Within ten days after the passage of the new draft, by Congress the provost marshal generals office will be ready for registration day"
 The machinery is ready and primed for action. It consists of 4,500 local boards throughout the country, com posed of experienced members and the official guidance that would be forth coming from General Crowder and his aides.
 The task, however, would be mon umental one It will take twice the effort and amount of labor that was needed to make the first draft sue cess, according to an official in Gen eral Crowder's headquarters.
 The first draft used 17O,ooo,ooo paper forms, including registration cards. instructive booklets to local boards, millions of questionaires and other cards of classification indexes. The next draft, should Congress ap- prove the Is to 45 age limits, IS eH- pected to take approximately 35ooeo'- GOO paper forms.
 This means the government printing presses. the largest in the world, Will
 -I