The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-08-16

ed Tor full military service are So urgent is the need for addf- tjonal manpower, General Crowder said, that the draft machinery is being put into shape for the great task ahead without waiting for ff- nal action by Congress. Men of
 the new draft will be needed by
 October I, and In order to get them
 registration day will have to be
 held not later than September 1J,
 and If possible September will he
 fixed ns the dry. N
 SITUATION URGENT
 ihe situation is urgent because, by octooer ], Class 1, under the age limits or the original act, will have been en- tirey exhausted. Unless there is to be very serious interruption in the flow or American troops to the camps and thence across the seas to France. Class must be replenished at the earliest pos sioie moment by available men. both be- low and above the present age limits of Fl to al. There is, literally, no time to be lost.
 The htli, which has been introduced in Congress at the request of the war de- partment, would fix the new age limits at between IS and 45 years That is K say, 1t would include in addition to the men within the present limits those be- tween g and 45 inclusive GA annual ciasses) and those between IS and 20 in- elusive (three annual classes)
 These limits were suggested to Con- gress by the war department because the military man power programme Of the United States requires that the now nearly depleted reservoir of Glass 1 shall be repenished by more than 100000 mea available for full military service On the basis of actuarial figures from in- surance companies, census computations and the experience of this office in the previous registration, 1t has been. esti- mated the required number of men for Class may be had only by including within the draft age limits men between 32 and 4s and between IS and 20. That is to say, approximately 13.000,0 900 men must be added to the list of registrants in or der that with all exemptions alleged, It least 100000 men will remain in Class l.
 13.000,O0O TO REGISTER
 ''In other words, here is the problem presented:
 If the bill, as introduced. is passed, it will be necessary between the date of its passage and october 1, to<register and begin 10 classify by questionnaire 13,600,o00 men not heretofore included in the draft age limits. or approximpre- ly one and one-third as many lner as were registered on June 5, 1917. And. when this has been done draft calls upon the new Class 1 must start to fill the places in tho training camps of those men going to France.
 Assurance having been given that the Legislation will receive immediate consideration upon the assembling of the House. and of the Senate this of- flee in it's preliminary instructions sent out to draft executives in the various states has proceeded on the assumption that the new registration might be held early In September. If for example. the bill is passed by August 31, or soon thereafter, it would be necessary for the Presidents proclamation tn fix a registration date as soon as possible, allowing ample time to be given for posting his proclamation in every re- zion of the country. Thus, iegistra- ton day might be as early as Septem- Der ,, or shortly thereafter. To have the first 'installment of the new Class ready for camp by, October. il would be necessary to have the registration not later than September 1. In any event it is obvious that we cannot wait until the act is passed before beginning the preliminary work in this vast un- dertaking.
 When the ls,0o0oo0 men are enrolled, nearly 25ooo,o0c will have been registered since ,he United States entered the war. There were some l0,000,O00 enrolled on the first registration day, June 5 1914, ali other 9D0 0c0 last June, and several hun dred thousand more are expected to be enrolled August 24.
 PRELIMINARY STEPS TAKEN
 "Preliminary steps have been taken by the provost marshal general" said Gea eral Crnwder's statement, ito provide for the registration of those men whC will be affected by the act which Con, gress is expected shortly to pass extend ing the age limits of the selective draft.
 .State headquarters, local boards ana other officials in the various states have been advised to hold themselves in rcad mess ro proceed promptly with their z work as soon as Congress has acted. and the President, by proclamation, has fixed tho date of registration
 Until the legislation is actually passed 1t cannot be stated with exact ness. of course, what the new age i'm. it's will be. But. because of the urgency of the situation, it is essential that as much of the preparatory work as possi ble be done at this time in order that the may promptly avail Itself of the new law. To that end. now. as m the past the utmost reliance is placed on the American people to supply the necessary co operation and team work
 COOPERATION NECESSARY
 "Entireiy aside from the powers which the new law may center on the is the essential that the public shall accord the fullest meas ure of co-operation and the war de- partment has implicit confidence that
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