New-York tribune., 1918-08-16
CrosOder Prepares to Register
1900, 900 Men in September

WASHINGTON, Aug. 15.-Provost
Marshal General Crowder announced to-
day that plans already have been made
for registering the 100000 additional
men which he estimates will be
brought under the selective service law
when Congress enacts the pending bill
between eighteen and forty-fve years.
From this number approximately
100000 qualified for full military SER
vice are expected to be secured
SO urgent is the need for additional
man power, General Crowder said, that
the draft machinery is being put into
shape for the great task ahead without
waiting for final action by Congress.
The new draft will be needed by
October /, and in order to get them
registration day will have to be held
not later than September Is and, if
possible, September will be fixed as
the day.
25,000,000 Registrants
When the 100000 men are enrolled
nearly 25,000,0O0 will have been regis
tered since the United States entered
the war. There were some 1O,OO0,00
enrolled on the first registration day,
June 8, 1917, another 100000 last June
S, and several hundred thousand more
are expected to be enrolled August "a.
preliminary steps have been taken
by the Provost Marshal General" said
General Crowders statement, "to pro-
vide for the registration of these men
who will be affected by the act which
extending the age limits of the selective
draft.
state headquarters, local boards and
other officials in the various states have
been advised to hold themselves in
readiness to proceed promptly with
their work as soon as Congress has
acted and the President, by proclama- l.
tion, has fixed the date of registration.
Preparatory Work Urged
"Until the legislation is actually
passed it cannot be stated with exact
ness of course what the new age limits
will be. But, because of the urgency
of the situation, it is essential that as
much Of the preparatory work as pos
sible be done at this time in order that
the Administration may promptly avail
itself of the new law. To that end
now, as in the past, the utmost reliance
is placed on the American people to
supply the necessary cooperation and
team work.
'"The situation is urgent, because by
OCTOBER Class l under the age limits
of the original act will have been en-
tirely exhausted. Unless there is to
be very serious interruption in the
flow of American troops to the camps
and thence across the seas to France
Glass l must be replenished at the ear
llest possible moment by available men,
both below and above the present age
limits of twenty-one to thirty one.
There is, literally, no time to be lost.
Seventeen Annual Glasses
"The bill which has been introduced
in Congress at the request of the War
Department would fix the new age linn
its at between eighteen and forty five
years. That is to say, it would include,
in addition to the men within the pres
ent limits, those between thrty-two
and forty-five, inclusive (fourteen an
nual classes) and those between eigh-
teen and twenty, inclusive (three an
nual classes).
'These limits were suggested to
Congress by the War Department be-
cause the military man-power pro-
gramme Of the United States requires
that the now nearly depleted reservoir
Of Glass l men shall be replenished by
more than 100000 men available for
full military service.
ION the basis Of actual figures from
insurance companies, census compu-