New-York tribune., 1918-02-20
Secretary Baker Soon to
Send Official Order to
General Crowder
New System to Rule
Men Will Be Sent to Canton
ments at Rate Of About
10000 Weekly
ISfaT C0,vespondencel

WASHINGTON, Feb. 19.-Plans for
assembling the second draft army
about May 1 have been approved by
Secretary of War Baker and will soon
be transmitted to Provost Marshal
General Crowder for execution, it was
authoritativcly learned here tonight.
approximately ten thousand men a
week will be sent to the National Army
cantonments.
Directions for concentrating the men
who will compose the second National
Army will be forwarded to the local
exemption boards within the next few
weeks. Each board vii! be told the
number Of men it must send TO the can :
tonments weekly.
The second draft will differ in sew
cral respects from the first draft. The
plan outlined to your correspondent
to-day provides for constant stream
of selected men to the cantonmnts
each week until the allotment of 500.-
600 men has been filled.
To End Delays
The sending of comparatively
small number Of men to the canton
ments weekly is expected to eliminate
the long delays experienced in as
semblng the first National Army. Of
ficals say that while it may be neces-
sary to change the weekly total at
times, they believe it will be possible
to maintain an average of nearly ten
thousand men each week.
The department will not wait for a
division of the First National Army to
Nacate cantonment before it begins
assembling division of the Second
National Army at that cantonment. On
the contrary. the members of the First
National Army will be Withdrawn from
the cantonments gradually and they
will be replaced by the men who will
compose the Second National Army.
All Of the 500 900 men who will COM
pose the second National Army will be
taken from Class |. General Crowder
estimates that approximately 100000
men have been put into this class by
the recent uuestlonnaire. OF that tot |
the general expects there will be at
least 100000 who will meet all require
ment5.
In addition, approximately 500 900
qualified men who have reached their
majority since the registration Of ten
million men last June will be avail
able before summer. The legislation
making this class of men liable for
military service has not been enacted
as yet, but plans are being made now
to expedite it.
While most of the important features
of the second draft have been settled,
there are still several matters to be
definitely decided before the formal
call. There is talk of sending the Ma
tionals now at the cantonments to the
vacated National Guard and regular
army camps, and also that many Of the
second Nationals will be assembled at
these camps, but no authoritative state
ment has been made.
The Withdrawals have been in prog
ress for several weeks, and number
of the cantonlcn can accommodate
from 10000 to 10000 second draft men
at the present time.
1t is no secret in army circles that
it will be next to impossible to senc
solcsers overseas as rapidly in the next
six months as they have been trans
ported in the last six months. There
are more soldiers in this country now
than can be sent to France before next
winter if the call continues for sup
plies and munitions instead of soldiers