Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-04-05
SPEEDING UP PLAN
FOR NATIONAL ARMY
UNDER CONSIDERATION
Provost Marshal General
Crowder May Take Larger
Quota in Coming Months,
Perhaps Using UP Class |
BY THEODORE TuLEz.

department has suddenly begun con-
sideration of an emergency program to
speed up the select service call. Select
men of Georgia and every other state
will be affected by the new plans. which
are now likely to receive speedy ratifi-
cation.
Provost Marshal General Crowder has
been directed TO report for a series of
conferences with officers of the general
stan regar ding new troop acquisitions.
General Crowder understands that the
revised troop acquisitions call for a
much larger quota of men for April
and succeeding months than was con-
templated when plans were originally
made for the year 1918.
That all available in class 1 may be
used before the end of the year is now
quite possible. a shorter training pc
riod in American camps and a longer
ratio of intensive training in France is
one OF the prospects ahead of the Sc
Iectmen under the new program.
There is no doubt of the determine
ton of the administration to send men
to France as quickly as they can be
trained fundamentally and transported
across the ocean.
AS forecast in these dispatches re-
Gently new conditions on the western
front may vitality change the formation
of a policy regarding the temporary
exemption Of farmers.
Unless the house quickly approves the
service quota bill, already passed by
the senate, the war department will
proceed with the emergency draft call
under the old law, which admittedly
works Injustice to localities which do
contain large percentage of foreign
horns and which, therefore furnish an
unequal number of men, on the basis
OF population. to class one.
Under the new plans of the depart
men. the following changes in selective
service situation are possible, if not
probable:
The number of men called this year
may be doubled, depending on facilities
for their despatch to General Pershing.
The period of training in American
camps will be shorter. The selectmen
are likely to go across soon after they
have learned the fundamentals of war
fare and to receive intensive training in
France.
The April. May. June and succeeding
quotas will be swelled probably by
twice their contemplated size.
IL may be necessary early next year
to 60 outside of class one to get the
men necessary to I'LL the training
camps.
General CrOW06T Sdlu lOudg lAdN inc
call which is a part of the second, must
call for men this month would be made
sooner than was expected, and that this
be made on the old quota basis, I'M
less there is prompt approval of the
new service quota bill. This old basis
fixes quotas on the comparative popula-
ton figures, rather than on the basis
presented to congress by the provost
marshal general in the so-called classi-
fcation bill. This bill was passed by.
the senate, but, after some delay, came
out of the house committee on divided
report.
General Crowder admitted that unless
this bill is soon signed by the presi-
dent. the second call viii go forward
under the old plan, which undenlahly
initiates against localities which pos
sess many native borns and few for
eigners.
When General Crowder was asked
why he did not insist upon speedy house
action. he said he had been before the
committee for ten hours explaining the
bin and he felt he had gone as far as
soldier could go in asking the legis-
lation. Chairman Dent, Of the house
military committee, said today that he
had requested the rules committee for
a special rule to expedite passage OF
the quota bill and the military commit
tee was not responsible for undue de-
lay. Requests are in, he asserted. for
rules on a number of war department
bills
Chairman Pou. of the rules commit
tee, has informed the house that he
hopes TO bring in a rule for the quota
bin following consideration Thursday of
rule authorizing condemnation of
land near government nitrate plants.
The injustice of the old method of
determining quotas is shown by the fol-
lowing illustration, which applies to
New York, and almost any locality
where there are large foreign-born popu-
Iations.
In division I. for instance, there may
be 1000 men registered and division 2
may have the same number of regis
trants. The registered men are CLASH
fled in five classes, possibly as fol-
lows:
Division One-Class G. 200; class two,
100; class three, 100; class four, 700;
class 5, 900. Each of these divisions,
having the same population supposedly,
might have to furnish the same number
of men. However. the division one,
having a large foreign population or a
number of alien enemies, all of whom
are required to register, furnishes an
unusually large number for class five,
ana WOULD De at a great uiSdNN
because its supply of men in class one
would be exhausted long before the sup
ply OF men of the same class in division
two would become exhausted. Thus di-
vision one suffers materially because of
it's foreign-born and deferred classifica-
tions.
Its proportion of able-bodied men
without dependents, who are called 10
| the colors. is out of step with the neigh
/ boring division which contains a larger
percentage of American citizens. Di-
vision two might have 500 men uncalled.
although in class one. after division one
T had exhausted its eligibles-and yet the
population involved might be the same.
Under the classification bill asked for
. by the war department, the president
may order the two divisions to send
25 per cent of your available men in
f class one to the environments" and the
proportion would go on down the line TO
+ the number of men in that class with
out reference TO population complica-
tions
/ The availables in class one would
automatically be expended at the same
/ time and the call would assume a uni
Z form basis throughout the country. This
4 rule. il may be figured out, would re-
I duce the quotas of some of the northern
states with large foreign-born popula-
/ tions. while il would somewhat increase
{ the quotas in some of the southern
( states with predominating native-borr
3 -Ns@s In ~ aw he aCvagr.