Catoctin clarion., 1918-03-21
The Next Draft.
The Call Will Come TO Few
At A Time.

At A Time.
There has been great deal OF specu-
lation in the press concerning what has
been termed 'The date of the next
draft. Almost every week announce
ments have been made and these an
nouncements, being mere guesses, have
resulted in an unrest and uncertainty
that has been unfortunate.
As a matter of fact the state of pre-
paredness of the Army to assimilate re-
cruits varies from day to day and from
week to week and the most scientific
manner of recruiting the forces will be
to withdraw them from civil life as fast
as they can be assimilated by the Army
and no faster, According to this plan,
men will be inducted into the service In
very small groups apportioned among the
various states from week to week or
from month to month as they are needed.
In order to distribute the burden equally
over the various states. However, it is
necessary to make arthmetical compu-
tations of the share of each state and it
is not practicable to make these compu-
tations for such small numbers. For
mere bookkeeping facility, therefore, it
is necessary to assume total of con-
siderable size and to apportion it among
the several states as their immediate
burden. This total is called national
quota and the various shares are called
state quotas. The announcement of the
quota does not mean that any such great
number of men will be called to the mil
itary service at once. and, indeed, has
no necessary relation to the date of call
for the reason that a constantly changing
situation causes changes in the number
of men who are to be called to the col
Ors.
1t is unwise to attempt to make fore
cast of the number of men that will be
called for immediate military service In
ad vance of the development of the whole
complex problem of supply and trans
portation 1t Is also unwise no make
public announcements of specific figures
which might serve the enemy as pre-
else basis for determining the plans for
military participation of the Nation in
this war. 1t is necessary, however, to
compose the present unrest and uncer-
tainty by public announcement and for
this reason the following is authorita-
lively stated.
1.-The next national quota will be an
nounced and apportioned among the sew
eral states as soon as pending legislation
authorizing a change in the basis of com
putation is enacted by Congress. 1t can
not now be announced what the total
number to be called to the colors each
month will be but it may be stated that
no more men will be called than can be
properly accommodated and promptly
assimlated.
"There are difficulties confronting the
Nation in the supply of labor appurten-
ant to agriculture. Class /. from which
new levies are to be withdrawn, will
contain many more men than are at pres
ent required for the Army. 1t would be
a most unscientfic and fatuous step if
the men in Glass were called indiscrim-
inately without regard to the labor sit
uation in agriculture. Therefore, the
Local Boards will be directed to fill their
quotas in the order of liability of men in
Class | as determined by the national
drawing, except that, where it is shown
that registrant is completely and ASST
duously engaged in the planting, cultiva-
tion or reaping of a crop, his call to the
colors shall be deferred to;the foot of the
quota of his board as long as he contin-
ues to be so engaged. Whenever any
registrant, whose call to the colors has
been deferred by reason of his engage
in agriculture, is shown to have been idle
on the farm on which he Is engaged or
to have trifed with the deferment that
has been accorded him, the boards will
forthwith induct him into military SER
vice if his order number has been reached
in the meantime. The effect of this ex-
pedient is to grant furloughs from SER
vice prior to actual call to the colors to
the men so greatly needed in the pro-
duction of this years crop. This is not,
however the only expedient that is to be
adopted to conserve the supply of labor
appurtenant to agriculture and to mob
ilize all means for increasing the harvest
for the agricultural season of 1918. There
is now pending before Congress bill au-
thorizing the Secretary of War to grant
furloughs, with or without pay, to men
in the Army to enable them to engage in
industrial and agricultural pursuits. The
purpose of this bill is to relieve serious
situations in particular instances in which
men who are the mainstay of farms have
been inducted into the service eli ther
through voluntary enlistment or selection
and whose services during the present
in agriculture are needed. These fur
ioughs will be granted after consideration
of the circumstances Of the individual
case in which they arise and when the
military situation is such that they can
be granted without too great disruption
and disorganization of the Army or of
any particular organization of the Army.
Days and nights are equal today.
>>u>I ns.,,~ nkkor