Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-01-19
SILENT AS TO WHISTLER CREDIT
CAN BE GIVEN FOR SELECTS
WHO ENLIST.
LAWYERS NOW ENGAGED
IN INTERPRETING STATUTE
General Crowder Desires to Seek Way
in Which to Credit Counties For
Men Included in First Draft Who
Enlisted Before Being Called Into
Service-lowa vitality Interested.
[By E. CT. Doughtery.l

Washington, Jan. 19.-Every city in
Iowa that has furnished recruits to any
branch of the military service. includ-
ing the regular army, national guard
and national army. will receive credit
for these volutary enlistments when tho
quotas for the next draft army are
announced if plans now under consid-
Grafton by the provost marshal general
result in the equitable decision army
lawyers believe they will
The absence in the selective draft act
OF any mention Of credits being EXTEND
ed to states for enliSulents in the ma
tional army IS the obstacle that the
provost marshal generals office is no"
endeavoring 60 eliminate The act
specifically says that credit shall be
given TO states for national guard and
regular army enlstments, but it is ST.
lent on voluntary enlistments in the
frs, draft army. This absence Of any
specific authority to grant credit for
national ar;< enl.stments has prevent
ed the provost marshal general and the
war department proper from giving any
state hope for such credit but when
the attention OF the two departments
was called to the fact that many states
have furnished hundreds of men not
included in the draft ages TO special
lied branches OF the nat!oraal army,
efforts were at once directed to rem
edying the apparent inequality.
Army lawyers attached to the pro-
yost marshal generals office are now
carefully scrutiniz!ng the selectire
draft Law to determine If II can De IN
terpreted in such way as TO eNleAo
credit 10 the states for every man VINO
voluntarily eniists regardless OF the
branch Of the service he enters. II II
IS found that such All Interpretation
can not be placed on the law, 1t IS IKE
~ that efforts will be made by the var
department to have the act amended
so lust credit may be extended 10
those states who have continued thei-
recruiting activities since June 5V'
when credit for enlistments on the first
draft stopped.
Many Recruits over Draft Age.
Numerous cases have been presented
TO the war department where entire
ammunition trains, field signal pa'Ia-
lions, ordnance department units. spe-
ciaI engineer companies ana quarter
master corps organizations nave been
completely recruited with men over Ihe
draft age. Invariably these units nave
been attached to national army dlVl-
sions and because of this fact no credit
to the states furnishing the men was
contemplated by the department. LII
the case Of the national army dlVlslo"
alone at Camp Dodge. there are per
hans three thousand men furnished
from Iowa and surrounding states loi
special branches. for which no creu!t
has vet been extended to Iowa ana the
other states involved.
That this action is soon to be rem
edied Is the confident belief of army
officers who desire 20 see every state
IN the union given an equable oppor-
unity in furnishing the men LOT the
second increment Of 500, 900 men for the
second draft army.
Anticipat,ng favorable action on the
matter. the general recruiting division
Of the war department is now engaged
in listing all the recruits that have
Joined the army since June 80. Each
is listed under the headings-regular
army, national guard, national army
and enlisted reserve vi PS' w ''~tA 80
tables are completed, they will be turn =.
cd over to the provost marshal general
for his information when the state
quotas for the next draft are deter
mined.
Recruiting in Iowa since April l mas
progres sed steadily. The states quota
for filing I'D the regular army to war
strength was placed at 4,4iS. Up TO
1u1v which includes all the enlist
ments the state was credited win
against the first draft call, Iowa mad
furnished 3740 men. Up until January
Is a grand total Of 1854 men hao
been sent to receiving depots from
Iowa. and army officers estimate tina!
At least 10000 Of these were accepted
and properly signed up as members OF
the armed forces. Considering the hg-
ure at 10000 Iowa may have a credit
m date of $3.50, to reduce the state
quotas for the next draft army.