Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1918-07-26
OPERATION OF
"WoRK OR FIGHT" ORDER

er, in an interview, commenting on
the work or fight" regulation.
which took effect July l, called at
tention to the occasional misconcep-
ton of its scope. 1t applies only to
men between the ages of 81 and 80,
viz, the ages covered by the select
i've service law, and thus made liable
to draft for military service. Gen
eral Crowder said: The widespread
and instant popular approval of this
regulation has been emphatic. Put
its scope should not be misunder-
stood, as occasionally it is found to
be- 1t is primarily a military meas
ure and was promulgated under the
selective-service act, which places
under liability for immediate mill
itary service all qualified men be-
tween the ages OF q and 80. 1t does
not affect men outside of those ages,
and therefore does not affect in
dustry at large.
The army and navy are taking the
men who are best able physically to
do the fighting But that is only one
part of the national task i'm posed by
the war The other part, the part
that falls on the other men, is to set
free these men who are to do the
fighting. Every man who helps to|
set free fighting man is helping to
fight and win the war.
And it is every mans duty to give
that share of help. That duty to
work and to work effectively, is the
foundation of the new measure
Work or fight" There is no other
alternative.
Now, many of the men of draft
age in deferred classes ., 8, and 4
deferred, that is, on grounds of de-
tendency, are not engaged in effect
i've industry. The spectacle is not a
satisfying one of contingent of
drafted men from Glass being
marched down the street to camp
while other men of their own age,
watching them from the windows,
remain behind to sell cigarettes or
dispense soda-fountain drinks, solely
because they have received defer
ment on grounds of dependency. I'll
these men of the same age are to
stay behind let them at least get into
work more effective to help the war. |
Their deferment takes them out of |
military service and yet serves no |
economic war purpose whatsoever |
They are of military age, and there |
fore have the primary duty to do war |
work. If their dependency gives |
them deferment from Immediate mil |
itary war work, let them at least do
something economically useful to
maintain the nations welfare while |
at war They should get into some |
useful and effective occupations or
else forfeit their deferment from mil
itary service. The alternative is
fair one.
This regulation, therefore, does
not affect any person outside of |
draft age, except indeed that it will |
offer him more opportunities of en-
ployment than before. The place left
vacant by the men within draft age
will now be filled by men of older or
younger ages and by women. The |
limited list of non-effective employ
ments was in part selected with a !
view to this very fact that the work |
in those occupations could as we'll |
be performed by older or younger
men or by women. These men who
are of military age will either go into |
military service or will go into oc-
equations more necessary for the ma
tional welfare, where there is an un-
filled demand for additional man
power They will be replaced. to the
extent that they need replacing, byl
the others not liable to military serv- !
ice.
This Is natural and logical con
sequence of the vast Withdrawals for |
the army. Nearly three million men
are said to have done into camp or
into the navy. 1t is a simple and qb- |
Vious fact that if the army is to be |
a national one in the fullest sense. |
the places left vacant by the fighters
stepping forward out of the ranks Of
civic industry must be filled by new
workers, and the places vacated by
them must be in turn filled by still
others, and so on, until the ranks
have been closed up and the whole
man power has been utilized in re-
placements
The need is insistent and he dc
mand is universal for systematic.
nationwide organization of the man
power that is now either idle or non
q ralr~ II