Evening journal., 1918-01-10

few days, the boys, or Helen didn't
know where. on Thursday night. how
ever. they heard his step on the front
porch, as usual and Jimmy flew to
the door TO let him in.
Hello. Uncle Harry. Where have
YOU been?'
Away to one of the army camps.
10 see about a young friend of mine
who is an engineering student am
swered Uncle Harry. "li seemed io mo
10 be q mistake for O. young fellow
like him, who had had special train
ing In engineering work 10 Doe put i'm
the rank and De of the infantry
when he could serve so much better
as an engineer. But my trip was all
10 no purpose
What do you mean. Uncle Harry 2'
asked Joe Wouldn't they use him
as an engineer"
quite the opposite children said
Uncle Harry "f found that they had
already assirned him 40 an engineer
regiment where he Will be able Go
use his abilities as am engineer in-
stead Of wasting them You see. our
Uncle sam is "a pretty wise old uncle;
not only does he take the best OF care
Of his nephews. but Doe knows each
one personally and Enows ohf each
one Is best able to 10. and if 10 is
possible 20 do so, he gives him that
kind Of work
"Work9" echoed Helen. "l didn't
know soldiers worked. thought
they fought
Uncle Harry smiled, as he said.
Lots Of people don't realize that
there is a tremendous amount of
work 90 be done In the army in addl.
ton 60 lighting. and that unless that
work Is done rleht the army cannot
fight well. For instance what good IS
fighting regiment if "a river lies in
The way? lt takes eugineers 20 build
bridges In order Go cross the river.
What GOOD are guns II they set out OF
order2 70 takes machinisis 20 FIX
them. What good are telephones In
sending Information if there are moi
expert electricians to keep them In
GOOD ORDER The army needs concrete
workers TO lay The foundations for the
great cannon. lt needs railroad men
20 build railroads TO bring mp supplies
md ammunition. 70 needs photogra-
pliers 90 fake pictures of the enemy
trenches from aeroplanes
Altogether there are hundreds of
NNIANN|NN n'NNNN NN NlAHA NANNANA NNA NNA'
army. and one of Uncle sans most
Important tasks is to get these men
into the places where they can serve
not merely as men. but as engineers
and as marhinists and as electricians
aud as railro0ders."
my. Uncle Harry" exclaimed Helen
1T must be o big job 10 get an the
men where they belong Why. there
are almost p million men IN the arm,
already. aren't ihere2 How in th'
world can Uncle Sam know just what
each man can DO and how can he plac'
him where he can do it3"
"I1l tell you. children" said Unci'
Harry There are about thirty differ
ent army training camps in the coun.
try. Each camp holds, we'll say. from
thirty TO forty Thousand men. At each
camp there is an officer who is known
rs the Personnel Omcer. II is this Of
hcer's duty Go see Go 20 that each man
who comes into camp is carefully eX.
amined and interviewed 10 md oul
what ne has been doing for q living
n a tradesman. just what he did, how
good he was at 30. how long he WORKED
at &C. whether he has had any former
military experience. whether he car
speak French or German.
All This information is careful,
written on card-lhere is one ear.
for each man-and the card is nle,
i'm the Personnel Once Little color
cd tabs indicate the cards Of met
who have similar ability-the black
-teleeraphcrs. cooks, shOemah
ers. Each man is then assigned 60 tina
branch Of the army where his ability
can be used TO The best advantage
n some branch OF the army wants
number Of men who can do certail
things. the Personnel Oihcer can 60
those men right away by referring &
the cards and selecting certain ones b.
the cOlored tabs
"I Sec said Joe. "a man is woril
whole lot more TO the army, ism
he, if he is set TO doing what he car