The sun., 1918-08-16
The Question OF Man Power Even
More Urgent Than That OF
Money Power.

money ROVER.
The Senate Committee on Military
Affairs has reported favOrably the
Administrations man power bill, in
Guiding the provision which carries
the age for selectlve service down to
eighteen years. General MARGINS re-
marks to the committee on this part
of the general subject were impress
sive and ought to be conclusive:
MY opinion Is unauaiiiedly in favor
of the young men. The young men be-
tween eighteen and twenty are usually
not married, they have not settled down
in life, they have not any incumbrances
and they are better off physically"
Since THE sun began to advocate
the inclusion of young men down to
The age of eighteen in the scheme Of
selective service we have received a
good many letters opposing the fore
going view of the matter. Some Of
them have been based on sentimental
grounds. some on theories of politi-
cal fitness, some on a misunderstand-
ing of the practical effect Of the
measure If enacted. 1t Is proper to
say that no protest against the regis
tration Of young men from eighteen
TO twenty-one has come to US from
any member Of the class most imme-
dlately concerned. And nobody who
knows the Spirit and the patriotism
Of American youth of that age will
entertain much doubt that If the pro-
vision could go to them on referen-
DUN, to be determined by their own
vote. 1t would be adopted enthusiast
tically and well nigh unanimously.
From the objecting letters just re-
ferred to We have selected that of
Mr. CHARLEs A. MEIsTER as present
ing, perhaps, in the most concise and
comprehensive form. the various ar
guments against the plan to reduce
the minimum draft age limit to eigh-
teen years. We here exhibit Mr..
MErsTER's eight reasons, with brief
comment upon each in turn:
Il. In talking to mon and women OF
my acquaintance I have become con-
WINGED that there Is n preponderarce Of
opinion unfavorable to that measure"
This may also have been the ex-
perience of others; and yet 1t does
not settle the question. The pre-
ponderance Of opinion among those
directly responsible for prosecuting
the war and winning the victory
which the nation has resolved to
achieve is obviously favorable to
the measure. Except for conclusive
reasons to the contrary public senti-
ment should defer to the preponder-
ance Of opinion among men like Gen
eral MARCH and General CRowDER and
Secretary BAKER, in better position
to judge of needs and means; just
as that same patriotic public senti-
ment Is deferring continually and
cheerfully to official and responsible
Judgment as to measures for produc-
ing the money power required to
win the war.
"2. The experience OF military pow
ers demonstrates that intense military
training is adverse to the development |
OF men below twenty years of age"
That was not the experience of the
United States as a military power
during the period when the youth of |
the North fought the equally effec- !
tive youth of the Confederacy in the |
tremendous struggle of the civil war.
80, 1t seems unfair to expect mill
tary duty from those not considered
mature enough to vote"
No more unfair, when broadly con-
sidered, than TO expect financial duty,
by the draft process, of war taxation,
from residents and property owners
who are not citizens Of the United
States and for one reason or another
do not yet possess the vote.
-. II the first draft bill, affecting
men from twenty-one to thirty-one
years OF age. was more strictly en-
forced, it would, In my opinion, mate
rally increase the size OF our forces"
Even If this opinion about the in
sufficient enforcement of the first
draft act were sound, it would not
alter the fact that TO whip Germany
and end tie war more men are needed
and that these men must be obtained
by widening the draft age limit We
90 not understand, however, what
Mr., MEIsTER means by more strict
enforcement of the first draft bill I'M
less he has in mind a lower standard