Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1918-05-22
ARMY FIVE MILLION
FROM PRESENT CLASS |
More Men Now Available Than it is
Possible to Equip and Ship
Overseas.
FIRST DRAFT REGISTRATION
WAS 9,5S6,5OI Men
With No Change in the Selective
Service Regulations We Can In
crease Army to 100000
or 100000 Without
Going Outside
Class 1.

Washington, May 2O.-Many
more men than Uncle Sam will be
able to train, equip and transport
to France within the next twelve
months are still available from those
Registered for the first draft and
from men who have become of age
since June, 1917, and have now
been brought under the selective
service
In fact, with no further change in
the selective service regulations. we
can increase our army within the
next year, if necessary, to $780,
600 or 5,000,000! And this with
out going outside of class one, ex-
cept for skilled artisans and me-
chanics needed for non-combatant
services.
The recent figure of 100000
men, set as the probable strength
of our army by the end of this year,
has led to considerable conjecture
as to the emminence of an increase
in the draft age limit.
The fact is, however, that 3,000,-
600 men can be mustered without
exhausting half the class one men
registered last June and still sub
ject to call For our army today
is less than 100000 short of that
number
The total number of men in the
army as of May s, including regu-
lars, federalized national guard and
those called under the draft, is p
1S7,S2S. This includes 554,397 in
the regular army, 40S,952 in the
federaliZed guard, and 1,224,479
called under the draft.
Total registration for the first
draft was 9,5S6,50S. Experience to
date has shown that "a per cent or
slightly more than one-third, of
these men are eligible for service.
The remaining two-thirds because
of dependency of families, industri
al exemptions and physical disabil-
ity, are not eligible for present ser
vice.
On the basis of "a per cent, the
total class 1 men eligible for SER
vice under the draft would be 81
359,440. OF these 1,224,479 al
ready have been called, leaving the
approximate number of eligible but
uncalled men registered last June
at 2,134.961. Allowing for pos
sible error in the percentage, how
ever, draft authorities are placing
.,the number ItemaiHing eiigibles
from the first registration at 2,000,-
900.
But there are more than that
By the amendment just passed
by congress, which provides for the
registration and drafting of men
who have become 81 since last June,
at least 700, 900 additional men will
be made eligible.
The total registrants under this
new draft act are expected to be
about 100000. The percentage
Of eligibles, however, is expected
There were only "a per cent eligible
in the original draft. The different
percentage is due to the fact that
comparatively few of the young men
who have become 81 within the
year are married and have depen-
dent families, that an equally small
percentage are so skilled industrial
ly as to secure exemption on indus
trial grounds, and that the average
of physical disability is much lower
In the event these 100000 elig-
ibles should be absorbed into the
army before June 1919, bringing
our army to 100000 or more,
there will at that time be another
group of 100000 or 100000 imme-
diately available without chang
| ing our basis of draft.
! From these figures it may be seen
that there is no present need for
worry as to our ability to raise men
to match the kaiser. In fact army
officials declare, the percentage of
men from the original draft who
are eligible for service is increasing
rather than decreasing.
Hundreds of men, who originally
| filed claims for exemption on de-
tendency grounds, are now with
drawing these claims and report
ing themselves for Class One.
In most of these cases the wives
of the registrants have found prof.
table employment, due to the great
err demand for women workers.
The men, no longer required for
the support of the wives, are anxi-
Gus to get into the army.
Also hundreds of cases have de-
veloped where men have waived
their industrial classification and
have asked to be placed in Glass
One so they might be subject to
early call.
Uncle Sans army on April l,
1917. consisted of 121,797 enlisted
regulars, 1918 National guardsmen
and 1000 members of the reserve
corps-a total enlisted personnel
of 202, $40. In the first year of our
participation in the war, then, dur
ing which we have had to build up