Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-07-22
BAKER WANTS RIGHT
. TO CALL 100000
Military Authorities Working
Out New Man-Power
Program.
WILL EXTEND DRAFT AGES
Likely to Be Raised to Thirty
Five or Forty
Years.
Especial to The Times-Dispatch.


submit TO Congress a new man-powcr
| measure providing for such extensions
OF the draft age and such other modih-
CATIONS of the se!ectivc service ac, as
| will put the government in command OF
| substantially 100000 men
| Details Of this new military program
are being worked out by tn general
staff. the War College an! the higher
civilian officials of the War Depart
ment. No announcement of the con-
clusion already reached has been made.
and the plan itself will not be Officially
dirulged until it is laid before. the com
mittees of the House and Senate
But certain definite facts regarding
the situation can he statel even now,
| facts which form the basis for tho
policy of the War Department and
which viii guide the, secretary in the
| recon ne endations which he will make
to Congress. as promised by him more
than month ago. II was this prom
isc of new inan-power program
which Influenced the House and Senate
to defer action upon pending leg isla-
tion affecting the selective service act
In the first place il now seems neces-
sary that the War Department, be
placed in position to cal. for as many
as 100000 men for military service
If such a number should be required
| TO effect the defeat of Germany. That
so large a number OF men cannot be
used Immediately, goes without saying
and it may never be necessary to call
all OF them, but many of Mr.. Baker.
advisers are convinced that the au-
,hority should be given without DELAY
TO summon them TO arms.
1t is the fixed purpose of the sccrc-
tary. however. to SO regulate the draft
processes that rs little disturbance as
possible viii take place in the indus
the domestic relations OF the men sub
trial system of the country and that
ject to call. with particular reference
TO dependency. will be affected as
slightly as the exigencics of the mill
tary situation will permit. And It is
with these two important considera-
tions in mind that the military au-
! thorities are working out the new plan
In order TO make 100000 or even
100000 available for duty in the army,
therefore. ii is absolutely necessary
mat the draft ages be extended and
there is strong reason for believing
that the war Department will renew
its original recommendation that the
age limit be lowered as well as raised
When the first draft plan was sub
mitted TO Congress it provided that All
men between the ages of nineteen and
twenty-eight years be registered Con-
Sress orrerruled this by fixing the ages
from twenty-one TO thirty-one years.
The new plan will probably provide
that the age limit he extended to forty
years, although there is strong milf
tary advice in favor Of liking tho older
limit at thirty-fve or thirty-six years,
on the ground that few men beyond
that age arc physically fit for tae
strenuous work in the army. But il
Congress wishes TO raise the limit "a
forty or even TO forty-fivc, there will
be no serious objection TO such lcgisla-
tion on the part OF the War DEPART
ment.
II is morally certain that the ad-
ministration. however, will urgently
insist that the agc limit be lowered 70
Not only do the younger men make bet
ter soldiers. both from the standpoint
of physique and discipline. but "a much
smaller percentage of them are engaged
n essential war work or have depend
part. For these reasons II may be
expected that Secretary Baker vii!
aSa;n call upon Congress to lower the
age limit.
If class Al under the draft is to be
made TO provide 5,o0O,0 900 men or any
thing like that number. it will be ab
solutely necessary to enroll not only
youths nineteen and twenty years old.
4
might qualify for that classification.
This has been shown clearly by ex-
perience under the present selcctive
service act.
y total of 100000 men registered
under the original law. This seemed
at the time to provide an almost in
cXhaustible reservoir of man power for
army making purposes. But 1t has MT
worked out that way at all. In the
first place, 100000 of these men were
aliens, and were Immediately exempted
from service. although many OF then,
have since been drafted by their own
governments. y total OF $4,000 were
at once excused from military duty Oh
the ground that they were skilled Ia
borers engaged in vital industries.
About 100000 more we're exempted as
Federal. state. county and municipal
employees.
When the classiications were COM
plcted 1t was found that 100000 more
OF the registrants had dependents
which entitled them to deferred po-
sittcns In the draft. In all, somewhat
more than 100000 of the 100000
registrants were either exempted out
right or given deferred classification,
leaving approximately 100000 subject
to call. But OF that number, 80 per
cent were found TO be physically dis
qualified for active military duty.
ONLY 100000 MEN
FOUND AVAILABLE
At the outside therefore. no more
than 100000 have been found avail
able In all respects for service. or
somewhat more than 10 per cent OF
the total enrolment. Including the
July calls 1.965,351 men have been
ca He'd to tho colors under tho selectiys