Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-06-18
Industrial Mobilization.

If the limits of the draft are extended to in
clude all men between the ages of eighteen and
forty-fve years, congressional leaders now pre-
dict, the government will place itself in a position
to mobilize practically the whole effective
power of the United States for industrial purposes
we'll for military purposes.
This evidently is the main purpose of the plan
of extending the limits of the draft In the recent
regulations announced by the War Department
quiring all men in deferred classfcations of the
present draft limits to so into useful employment
go into the military service the country af
forded striking example of the manner in which
the authority conferred by the selectve service
law be used for industrial mobilization.
To fight this to a successful conclusion
against the perfectly organized and perfectly
ordinated forces of the German government will
require the complete mobilization of the man pow
of the United States, the complete mobilization
of the money power of the United States, and the
complete mobilization of the materials of the
United States.
Mobilization of the nations money power
made possible in advance of our entrance into the
war by the wonderfully efficient Federal Reserve
System by which the credits of the country
perfectly elastic and mobile to meet any situation
which may arise.
Mobilization of the nations materials will be
practically easy of accomplishment under the pow
er of the government to prescribe the of the
railroads Tor transportation OF essential and non
essential shipments.
Mobilization of the nations whole power
can be accomplished by extension of the limits
of the selective service to include all between
the ages of eighteen and forty-fve years.
This Goes not mean that America is so badly in
need of for military service that she must
reach backward Ind take them at the age of
eighteen years reach forward and take them at
the age of forty-fve years. The point where it will
H.,
not be reached in five years of war
The plan means that the government is
obliged to have the nations whole man power
gagged in industry essential to the conduct of the
war. 1t means that men whose occupations of
such nature that they can be dispensed with dur
ing the period of the destined to be
moved from non-essentia work and placed in
ployment where they will either contribute direct
y to the winning of the war, else take the place
of soldiers in lines OF work which cannot be sus-
pended.
When the limits of the selective service have
been extended from eighteen to forty-fve years it
will be a comparatively simple matter for the War
Department to summon the whole effective work
ing force of the nation and give them the choice
of going into useful and essential employment
DOMINIC the uniform.
Americans have been quick to respond to the
governments appeals for direct fnancic. support
through the floating of loans and the raising of
special taxes, but they have failed to compre-
bend the absolute necessity for doing away with
non-essential industry. They have not realized
that the United States was obliged to throw into
the war the whole of her great industrial power in
order to win.
Extending the limits of the selectve service
law will simply mean that the public will longer
have the privilege of exercising free and volun-
tary choice in this matter but will be compelled
to forego of non-essentials for the period of
the war.