Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1918-01-24
REVIEW OF WAR ACTIVITIES
News Items Given Out by Bureau on
Public Information.
Size of Federal Forces

There were l,42S,650 enlisted men and
1l0,s65 officers in the U. s. army at
the opening of 1918, more than one and
) a half times as large as any force ever
before modified by this nation, accord
ing TO statement by Secretary of War
Baker.
During the war with Spain the army
of the United States at its maximum
strength aggregated $4,000 men and Of
ficers. The army in the field and in
training now is practically six times
as great as the maximum Itumber under
arms in the Spanish American war.
About $4,000 officers were commits
stoned from civil life in the two series
of training camps, nearly eight times
as many as the number of officers in
the regular army April l, 1917
Books for Soldiers
More than half million books al
ready have been furnished soldiers and
sailors in training camps and in France
by the American Library Association
War Service and the flow is steadily
increasing, according to the director
of this work.
A campaign for funds inaugurated
by the association last autumn netted
more than $1,500,000 and real results
in the tangible shape of books and com
Portable libraries are being felt by the
soldiers and sailors. The Carnegie cor
poration gave $4,000 for the erection
of camp libraries. Nearly all camps
now have libraries and in the others
the buildings are in course of con
struction. The reading rooms each ac-
commodate $50 men.
For the men in France the associa-
ton has organized distributing stations
at all points of embarkation, where
books are assorted for shipment abroad
Soon every soldier who steps on a trans
port will carry a book with him, which
he and his companions will read on
the way across, after which it will be
forwarded to the men back of the
trenches. No attempt will be made to
establish Libraries in France, but the
will have representatives
there to supervise the work of distri-
button.
Matches Barred from Foreign Mails
Postmasters are directed not to ac-
cept for shipment to members of eX-
forces packages containing
matches, cigar lighters, or solidified al
,ohol, including the preparation called
sterno' or canned heat 1t is not
leemed safe to admit these articles to
mails for foreign countries or for U.
). naval vessels, including marines on
hore in other countries.
Defective Eyes Cause Reflections
Examination of the records of 10000 |
nen passed for military service by local
boards and then rejected by camp sur
rooms show that nearly % percent of
he final reflections were caused by de-
ective eyes.
Teeth were responsible for $50 per-
emit; hernia, TAI percent; ear 5.94 per
emit; heart disease, 5.S7 percent; tuber-
ulosis, 5.37 percent
Attempts to cvade military duty by
regarding physical condition
ere very few.
Chance for Tradesmen
Men qualified along certain lines, al
Rough registered under the selective
ervice law, may be induced into the
nd division of the signal corps, which
in need of men for the following dut
S:
Chauffeurs, motorcycle drivers, and
as engine repairmen for duty in field
nd telegraph battalions; photographers,
9TH wire and radio; telephone men,
GLIDING switchboard operators, tele