The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1918-06-08
REJECTED CLASS
I men WILL Do
CIVILIAN. WORK
Quarter Of Million Men VIII Soon
Be Indicted Into Govern
nnent Service.
BY HARRY b. HUNT.

WASHINGTON, June 6.-Two hun
dred and fifty thousand men released
from early service under the draft be-
cause OF minor physical defects, but
held for special and limited military
duty" are to be brought into the
army within the next few months for
service In noncombatant units.
At present every man in the army
has had to pass rigid physical tests
for field service. T ems of thousands of
these sturdy, athletic; young fellows,
however, are serving as clerks and
storekeepers In quartermaster and
ordnance depots, as military police,
hospital orderlies, headquarters clerks,
telegraph, telephone and wireless op-
orators and in other jobs that could
be as efficiently filled by men not
physically qualified for front line
work.
In order that America may put into
this war her maximum fighting
strength, General Crowder, provost
marshal general, has decided that no
man physically fit for front line serv-
ice shall be permitted to serve in
noncombantant work for duty at the
is possible to fill acceptably these jobs
with men not fit for the trenches.
A man may have thumb or finger
off, a glass eye or flat feet, and still
be able to do everything that is re-
quired in non-combatant service. o.
ten he will be able to do 1t better than
the young athlete. Some of the most
efficient office men to be found are
often virtually cripples in the military
sense. -
Job For Every Man.
'There is a. Job in the army for
every man who is able to handle any
sort of job in industry" it was stated
at Crowder's office. 1.-THE whole army
cannot be on the battleline, and it Is
absurd to apply batteline require
ments to the men Of the -noncomba-
tant forces. go -:
LAS a result, we: will release from
noncimbatant work Tor duty at the
front the equivalent of 20 German dt-
visions-for every one of these men
brought in for special and limited
military duty will release from nom
fighting work a man physically fit for
the trenches"
Orders for the induction of these
limited service" men into the army
will end the regime OF. ''slickers and
slackers' who, strong and sound,
secured assignment TO- desk jobs and
other duties that would keep them far
from the sound of the guns.
Thousands Of men in Washington
alone will be released for field duty"
this draft official declared.
Will Drain Glass 4.
This refinement Of selection will
continue until about the only Glass I
men not in service will be the invalids
and total incompetents. For special
lied work, too, we will go into the
deferred classes when necessary"
From now on ability to serve is to be
the deciding factor in Selection. Prob
ably the most expert wireless opera
tor in the United States has only one
leg. Should the government turn this
defect, and put In his chair a sound,
two-legged OPERATOR? We think not.
The one-legged man can give more
efficient service at the wireless key
than the man who is physically sound.
And putting him on the job for which
he is fitted releases the sound man
with his two good legs to charge the
Germans across No mans -lauG.,.