Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1918-03-14

ture a new regulation has been promu-
gated authorizing agricultural students
in their senior year In land grant colleges
to enlist in the enlisted reserve corps Of
the quartermaster's department, provided
their class standing Is such as to place
them In the upper third of their class.
BY this means it will be possible to defer
the craft call of such young men in order
to enable them to perfect themselves as
agriculturists and thereafter to protect
them in such services as it may seem that
they would perform in the best interests
of the nation.
1.-The whole industrial and agricultural
situation is being subjected to a very
comprehensive study in order to discover
any means that may be taken to protect
and augment the labor supply appurtenant
to industry and agriculture without pre-
cluding the prompt and orderly progress
of our military plans. 1t is confidently be-
lieved that great progress can be made
along this line and that more effective
measures than any yet devised can be
put into operation to attain the desired
end.
TT must be emphasized that this is
war of mechanics. The need of the
several armed forces for men highly
skilled in technical and mechanical
pursuits is greater than in any former
war. Yet this need for specially skill
ed men finds the nation under a neces-
sity for increasing it's production in
almost every line of industry. With
drawals of men from industry must be
made and these Withdrawals must take
men who might otherwise be deferred
on account Of their special qualifica-
tions and skill. The necessary numbers
of such skilled men will be obtained
in ono of three ways.
"First men already in the military
service who have such special skill will
be taken from the line regiments and
| assigned to the staff organizations and
departments whore their skill Is need
! ed. Second. men classified by the Sc
| lection boards, even though they may
have been placed in a deferred classi-
fication, will be withdrawn with great
| care and particularly from the indus
| tries of the nation for special service
| in staff corps and departments. Third.
| young men of draft age with certain
| educational qualifications will be in
Quoted into the service and sent to uni
| versities. colleges. and technical and
secondary schools to be instructed in
technical arts until they have acquired
such proficiency as will justify their
| ASSIGNMENT to the special units that
are being organized in considerable
numbers.
In accordance with this plan, the pro-
vost marshal general has already called
| upon the States for some 10000 skilled
artieaas and will shortly call upon the
| States for 10000 young men, graduates
Of grammar schools. who will be sent be-
fore the first of April to various technical
! and other schools throughout the United
| States for two months course of train
| ing. Regularly thereafter an increasing
stream of selected men will be sent
! through educational and other training
institutions for this purpose.
ITO sum up, 1t may be said that there
will be no sudden withdrawal Of great
numbers of men from the ranks of in
dustry and agriculture during the COM
ing summer but that men will be drawn
| in relatively small groups throughout the
year in such a way as to create the least
possible interference with industry and
agriculture. Men In deferred classes as
well as mon in class one will be selected
| in small numbers either on account OF
their special technical qualifications. or
for the purpose of sending them to
schools where they will be given an oppor
tunity to acquire such qualifications"