Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-06-27
Tells Senate Military Com
mittec Program Will Be
Ready in Three Months.
CALLING OF 875,OOO MEN
WILL EXHAUST CLASS ONE
If Hopes Are Realized, There
Will Be l,45O,OOO Men in
France by August.
SHIPPING IMPORTANT FACTOR
calculations Upon Which Pending
Bill Was Drawn Have Already
Been Exceeded.

WASHINGTON. juno 2e.-Sccrctary
Baker disclosed to the Senate Military
committee to-day that within three
months an enlarged army project now
being worked out. Will be presented
10 Congress TO represent the maximum
lighting effort OF the country.
Already the calculations upon which
the pending army bill was framed have
been exceeded. and the War Depart
ment is now revising it's plans on an
enlarged basis that means additional!
billions in money and additional mil
lions OF hghtlng men.
The full scope OF the new measure
Is not yet apparent. even TO officials
who arc preparing 1t.
MIR. Baker disclosed the new plans
IN explaining his reasons for oppos-
ing any change now in the draft age
limits.
TO HAVE 3,5O1.00O UNDER
ARMS SOME TINE IN AUGUST
During the debate to-day II was dis
closed that IL the highest hopes are
realized. I.45o.Ot0 men Will have reach
cd France some time IN August. and
that there will be a total force un-
der arms of approximately $500. 900.
4 statement Rad into tho Senate rec
ord by Senator Chamberlain. chair
man OF the Military Committee. pre-
dieting that class probably would
be exhausted during October and
would be reduced TO Gill26 ren by
calls tc be sent out before August l.
Secretary EaEcr and General March
were positive that the reservoir OF
fighting man power would NEE, all
calls upon It under tho best possible
nj 4 ftn,,
portatton until Congress has an op
portunity TO take up age extensions
later with the data now being com
piled by the War Department 4; hand
MUCH ALLIED SHIPPING
IN TRANSPORT SERVICE
The question OF available shipping to
haul the men to France is the vi,al
factor. At present, much British and
French tonnage is employed on The
work, as unusually good crops In
England have already made ships
available weeks longer than was eS
pectcd.
The table shows total strength in
class OF 2.3s2,ps2. Deductions of
334.634 for delinquents, 3G.770 for III"
emergency fleet list, 2lj,j39 for linn
tied service classification. and 50.2GS
l,724,S7l fghtins men Of these orig
inally placed In class /. TO that num-
Der, 1t is estimated 100000 will be add
ed by the siication process now
going on. and 100000 from the c.asS
OF 1918, to be drawn tomorrow.
With the July call deducted. the
table fixed S77,359 as the number OF
availables left in the lighting ranks OF
class ], and tho estimated calls for the
rest OF the year are placed at total
Of $4,000, which would leave 1000 men
still in the class on January !, 1919.
The calls for 1918 are given as Au-
gust, 100000 September. 10000; Oc-
tober, 10000; November, 10000, and
December. l25,o0o.
1t was pointed out during the Sen
ate debate that these figures, pre-
pared by General Crowder, seemed to
show sufficient number of men to
fill any calls now planned. and that
apparently an estimate of 100000 addi-
tional men to be obtained by the draft
treaties with France and Great Britain
was not included, nor the 10000 cases
on appeal. OF which it was said 90 per
cent would go into class l. 1t was
noted, also. that 211,600 men available
for limited military service had been
deducted from the lotal OIL CLASS i, al
though II is understood men of this
classification are included in the calls
MANY SENATORS ARE
PUZZLED RY FIGURES
Many Senator'S were puzzled by the
figures. IT appears possible. however.
I'D Secretary Baker and other War
,,-nartment officials are known to share
CHS view. that In fact. IL the present
schedule Of mobilization Is carried out.
there will remain in class l under the
present age limits several hundred
thousand men. instead OF 1000 on Jan
uary !. Probably 1t is this fact which
prompted the recommendation that the
age limit be not disturbed for the
present.
Mr. Baker has started careful
study Of the probable effect upon es-
sential industries of application OF the
draft to men of more than thirty-onc
wears would have.