The weekly Alaska citizen., 1918-05-13


 and agricultural pursuits. The pur- pose of this bill is to relieve seri- ous situations in particular instances in which men who are the mainstay of farms have been inducted into the service either through voluntary en. listment or selection and whose ser vices during the present emergency in agriculture are needed. These fur loughs will be granted after consider ation of the circumstances of the in- dividual case in which they arise and when the military situation is such that they can be granted without too great disruption and disorganiza- tion of the army or of any particular organization of the army.
 Agricultural Students
 AS to further means to protect agriculture, a new regulation has been promulgated authorizing agri- cultural students in their senior year in land-grant colleges to enlist in the Enlisted Reserve Corps of the Guar! termaster'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 pos sible to defer the draft call of such young men in order to enable them to perfect themselves as agricul- turists and thereafter to protect them | in such services as it may seem that they should perform in the best interests of the nation.
 The whole industrial and agricul- tural situation is being subjected to 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 precluding the prompt and orderly progress of our military plans. It is confidently believed that great progress can be made along this line and that more effective measures than any yet de- vised can be put into operation to attain the desired end.
 This a War of Mechanics It 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 nee essity for increasing its production in almost every line of industry. Withdrawals of men from industry must be made and these withdrawals must take men who might otherwise be deferred on account of their spe- cial qualifications and skill. The necessary numbers of such skilled men will be obtained in one of three ways.
 | First, men already in the military service who have such special skill will be taken from the line regi- ments and assigned to the staff or, ganizations and departments where their skill is needed. Second, men classified by the selection boards, even though they may have been placed in a deferred classification, will be withdrawn with great care and particularly from the industries of the nation for special service in staff corps and departments. Third, young men of draft age with certain educational qualifications will be in. ducted into the service and sent to universities, colleges, and technical and secondary schools to be in structed in technical arts until they have acquired such proficiency as will justify their assignment to the special units that are being organ ized in considerable numbers.
 Will Send Many to Schools
 In accordance with this plan the provost marshal general has already called upon the States for some 10,. 900 skilled artisans and will shortly call upon the States for 10000 young men, graduates of grammar schools who will be sent before the 1st of April to various technical and other schools throughout the United States for a two months course of training Regularly thereafter an increasing stream of selected men will be sent through educational and other train ing institutions for this purpose.
 To sum up, it may be said that there will be no sudden withdrawal of great numbers of men from the ranks of industry and agriculture during the coming summer, but that men will be drawn in relatively small groups throughout the year in Such a way as to create the least possible in reference with industry and agffcul ture. Men in deferred classes as well as men in class 1 will be selected ir small numbers either on account ol their special technical qualifications or for the purpose of sending them tc schools where they will be given ar opportunity to acquire such qualified tions.