Arizona republican., 1918-12-15
SELECTNE SERVICE Is THE ESSENCE IF DEMOCRACY -CROWDER
Says Volunteer System
 Throttled England-Draft Should Become Perman- ent-Other Is A Calamity

NEW YORK, Dec. 14.-"Taps" to the volunteer system of raising armies in war time by the United States was sounded here tonight by Major General Enrich H. CroWder, provost marshal general, in an address to the retiring members of 1S9 New York draft boards. He earnestly advocated that the selective service system should be- come the permanent method of raising American armies in the future. General Crowder declared that the SelectiYe service law had enabled the government in this war to register 2S,- 74O,000 Americans; put into the field 1 nearly S,000,000 fighters, and to have in readiness to entrain on November Il, when the armistice was signed, 2,O00,000 more soldiers, all within period of IS months. It would be a calamity" he said, for the United States to revert to the volunteer sys- tenn, in view of such a successful test of selective service, adding that the men selected had shown the valor, az gressiveness and initiative of the most seasoned troops.
 What of the army you have raised" asked General Crowder, referring to the drafted men who had been sent overseas. "The answer comes back from France in no uncertain terms. These men you have sent to the colors have proved themselves the equals in aggressive fighting and soldierly bear 1 ing of the veterans of France and Eng land"
 Draft System Essential
 General Crowders speech was an ex- position of the successful work of the 1 selective service law which, he said, had responded 'so smoothly and so well to our dual form of state gov ernment and national control, that it 1 would be calamitous, if it should not ] become a recognized part of our gov ! ernmental system for the raising of armies in time of war"
 The provost marshal general con- trasted the draft methods of the ! United States with those of England, and showed how this country had | profited by the mistakes made by the British, who, after three years of trial with the volunteer system. and the dis organization of industry, were obliged to adopt conscription.
 Pointing out that when Germany ! hurled her challenge to the democra- cies if the earth, it became necessary for these demOcracies, for self-preser- vation, to organize their resources, as she had done and make every man a soldier" active or reserve, General Crowder declared this test had been met He referred to the efforts of Lord Kitchener to raise an army, and of the first gallant 10000 who were sent across the English channel, | Knowing how to die but little else in bo arr-fY, ,1 hot toJ He touched briefly upon the great drain upon the flower of England s manhood and how, after the factories, schools, offices, farms and mines had been depleted of their best, the futility of trying to raise the required number of volunteers became apparent.
 England Suffered VoIunteerism
 After r months of war had wit messed the disastrous fighting at Galli- poll, Mesopotamia and the Balkans and the deadlock on the western front" he declared, the new army of England was 100000 short of it's then author ized strength. The volunteer system was abandoned" he went on, "after ii had throttled the industrial life of the nation, and undermined the whole economic structure"
 When the United States war depart ment, in it's effort 10 heed the lessor learned by England. sought the enact ment of the selective service act, Gen eral Crowder said that the traditional method of raising armies by the volun- teer system was so strong with the American people that it was deemed l. expedient in the very bill the war de- partment presented to congress for en- actment, to provide that limited vol
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