Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-08-16
100000 YANKEES
CAN CRUSH ENEMY,
MARCH DECLARES
Continued from Page -

! larged program was providing men. The
desire of the administration is to estab-
| lish limits, both maximum and mini
mum, which will accomplish this pro-
gram and at the same time disorganize
the industries of the country as little
as possible.
''The policy of the war department Is
| to put the maximum number of men in
France with the idea of shortening the
war. We found from figures furnished
! by the provost marshal general that we
! could embark on a program of eighty
! divisions in France by June 30, 1919
| with eighteen divisions at. home. These
| divisions consist roughly of 10000 men
] to a division. After prolonged study of
the available man power of the United
| States, the provost marshal general
| showed that it was necessary to drop
| to eighteen years of age and go TO
| forty-five in order to get the men to
| carry it through. All the men obtained
under the proposed change in the law
| approximately 1890, 000-we expect to
| have in France by June 80, 1919"
General March told the committee that
he was unqualifiedly in favor of having
the army composed of as many young
men as possible. Young men between
| Is and 20, he said, not only do not have
| as many encumbrances, but they are
better fit physically.
1.-The president" said General March,
! resuming his statement, has finally
announced that the American military
| policy from this time on is conferred
on the western front and we have de-
clined to be diverted from that one
thing. The war department has now
adopted this as a policy and it is the
| policy of the United States that the
military program is to be conferred in
France.
IF the ages are changed to IS to As
the system of voluntary enlistment In
the United States army disappears.
Up to America
THE purpose of America" General
| March continued, lis to furnish enough
man power to whip the Germans from
now on. The only way that Germany
can be fhipped is by America going into
this thing with her whole strength"
Then America has got to put enough
men over there to whip Germany" asked
| Senator Kirby.
THAT is it in a nutshell" General
March replied
1T is up to us to win the war and
we can win it. How long it will take
will depend exactly upon what we do.
If we drag along with this thing and
put a small force over there we will be
playing Germany's game 1t is my be-
lief that with an American army Of
100000 men in France under one COM
mander-in-chief we can go through the
German line whenever we please"
This law" he added, will let Us
lean on classone until June 80 of next
year. We reached the conclusion that
the enlarged program was necessary
on July 30"
Secretary Baker explained the steps
that led up to the change in the pro-
gram
After the recess of congress-" the
secretary said, the study OF the situa-
ton went on and a few days ago ii
became clear to US that the eighty-dI-
vision program was perhaps the max
imum which we could possibly hope
to accomplish and that to accomplish
that ii would be necessary to change
the age limits from the present limits
to Is to As"
Secretary Baker said that he asked
the surgeon general for a formal opin-
ion as to what changes he would rec
ommend, to which the surgeon general
suggested the ages of is to As.
Baker Approves Bill
1.-The bill as it is written meets with
my entire approval" declared Secre-
tary Baker Asked by Senator John
son, of California, if ne believed the
pending bill is essential to carry out
the purposes for which the United
oldl0S ChNCICu liC wal OCSASNSNAJ D~i>SA
replied:
"T believe that to be the fact My
own Judgment about il originally was
that 10 should be the minimum and I
came to the IS minimum only after
thorough study of the situation and with
some reluctance, but finally believing it
to be necessary to secure the appropriate
number of men,"
The committees action in reporting
the bill, the report says, "is based upon
the necessity of the government in this
crisis" and upon the opinion Of the sec
rotary Of war, chief of staff and the
provost marshal general that 1T would
be better to extend the draft ages than
to Invade those classes which have
been deferred by law and by regulations
of the war department"
Regarding the work or fight amend
ment of Senator Reed, providing for
withdrawal of deferred classification
from men absent from work without
cause, the report says:
'Tt seems to the committee that In
view of the fact that we are about to
authorize the calling of boys between
the ages Of eighteen and twenty-one as
we'll as those above twenty-one up to
and inclusive of forty-five, and are pro-
viding for the exemption of men be-
tween eighteen and forty-five who are
engaged in useful and necessary occu-
nations from actual service in the ranks,
when anv are exempted solely for this
cause their services are more valuable
to the nation in the production of things
essential to the prosecution of the war,
that when they ceased in good faith to
follow the essential occupation they
ought to be subject to call as in other
cases.
'"The young man not engaged in these
occupations must wear the uniform, en-
ter the ranks and bare his breast to the
weapon of the German army. He cannot
refuse to work even for an hour, and he
is compelled to fight whether he feels
disposed to do so or not In view OF
this, when a young man is exempted
solely in order that he may engage in
an essential industry he ought to con-
tinue in that employment in good faith,
while any grievance is being adjusted
by the industrial board, and If he fails
to do so he ought to be placed in the
same category and be subject to call.
1.-The provision does not pretend to in
terfere with the right of any man to
cease labor when any man pleases to do
so, but simply says to him that if he
does cease he shall be under such regu-
lations as the president may prescribe
subject himself to call as though he had
not been exempted in the first instance"
Lack of a quorum in the senate pre-
vented any attempt to have the men,