The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1918-08-14
TO SEND MILLION
TO ARMY SCHOOLS
Boys viii Be Trained for Indus
trial Work in Special In
stitutions.
PLAN ARMY REGULATIONS
Draft Reeistrants Under New Bill VIII
Be Called Into Service or
Placed In the De-
ferred Class.

washington, Aug. l2.-Draft regis
trants under the new man power bill
now before congress. extending the
draft age limits to include all men
between the ages of eighteen and for
ty-five years. will be called into serv-
ice or placed I'm a deferred class under
n new set Of regulations. Indications
are that the new orders regarding de-
ferred classification will be promul-
gated soon by the war department and
issued after passage by congress of
the new draft law.
First limitations that new classifi-
cation rulings were to be issued came
from Secretary Baker after he had tes-
tilted regarding the new bill before
the senate military committee. In
general way the war secretary stated
that In the operation of the new draft
deferred classification would become
automatic. thereby eliminating the
stigma often attached to "claiming ex-
emptions." The duties of the regis
trant would be, Mr. Baker said. to
answer series Of questions. The
government, through the draft boards.
would decide from the answers the
liability to service. Mr.. Baker also
stated that for purposes coming with
In the new draft age limits marriage
in itself would constitute deferred
classification.
Organization Of t,0o0,o Youths.
Organization of 100000 youths to
do industrial work. take military train
ing in preparation for later army serv-
ice. and at the same time attend spe-
cially arranged technical or vocational
schools Is planned by the government
as means Of dealing with the grow
ing shortage of labor without drawing
boys away from their schooling.
The corps will be developed through
extension of the United States boys
working reserve, which has already
enrolled 250,OOO youths between the
ages Of sixteen and twenty-one, en-
gagged mainly this summer in farm
work. Many of these boys will 90
proportion, together with others to be
enrolled. will be directed into indus
trial work to fill vacancies left by
men now being drafted for the army.
These boys are to he organized as
units in each community. serving I'M
der an adult training officer, taking
courses of study In night schools or
by some other systematic program.
living either at home or In camps and
wearing the uniform of the reserve
corps, Shich will be of gray cloth with
roll collar jacket.
Back to School About October IS.
Another feature Of the program for
drawing on the great reservoir Of
youth labor involves the pOstponing Of
the opening date of school courses to
about October Is for the boys now
at work on farms throughout the
country. This will apply only to
those boys and not to all pupils. Def
mite plans are now being worked out
through the federal bureau Of edu-
cation. Regular army officers may be
assigned to train units of the work.
ing reserve and to direct the estab-
lishment Of special courses which will
prepare the youths for technical serv-
ice in the army when they reach the
draft age.
without this plan for an Industrial
army Of youths hundreds of thousands
of boys would quit school this fall and
winter. according to w. z. Hall. d.
rector Of the boys working reserve.
to take big paying jobs as helpers In
Industrial plants. and their education
which Is considered vitality essential to
success later as soldiers and in civilian
life would be curtailed.
What the Government Sought.
II was to remedy this prospective
situation. examples Of which might be
taken from the experience of England,
France and Germany. that the govern
ment now plans combining schooling.
military training and productive en-
ploynent Of the nations boys.
II the draft age minimum Is re-
duced to nineteen. as Is proposed by
Secretary Baker, youths above that
age would cease to be eligible to men,
bership In the working reserve. Con-
sequently officials contemplate extend
Ing the lower ages for accepting boys
for the working corps from sixteen.
the present minimum. to fifteen or
even fourteen years. Boys who serve
in the working corps are to receive
medals and service records represent
Ing Official recognition by the United
States government Of their value in
the war emergency. Development of
the project Is assigned mainly to the
department Of labor under which the
boys working reserve now operates.
and enlistment In the corps will be en-
tircly voluntary.