Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-08-02
PLANS READY FOR EXTENDING THE DRAFT AGE LIMIT Sec. Baker to Present Pro- gram to Congress Next
 Week. WONT ANNOUNCE
 PROPOSED CHANGE Indications Are That New Measure Will Range As Low As IS or 19
 and Perhaps As High
 As 40 Years.

Washington, Aug. War depart ment recommendations for enlarging the army and for the extension of draft age limitations in order to pro- vide new reservoirs of man power to back up the forces already at the front, will be laid before congress next week. Members of tn two mill tary committees have been recalled to Washington by the chairman in order to expedite the bill.
 In announcing, following confer ence with Chairman Dent of the house committee. that his increased army project was virtually ready Secretary Baker would not say what age limits had been settled upon. nor indicate in any way the size of the army he is planning.
 Il do not want to say what the ages will be- he said, 'fbecause the concurrent action of the two houses
 q had a conference with MT. Dent this morning and went over with him the full plan, involving the suggested ages. l am to have con- ference with Senator Chamberlain as soon as he gets back.
 Predicts Big Change.
 "Any suggestion to extend the draft ages is to produce in class i an ade- quate number of men for the enlars- ed military program. If the ages are devised, they will have to be either below 21 or above 31, or both. l think it will be both"
 Chairman Dent was even more re- ticent but said he was willing to go either up or down ir extending age limits of the draft to win the war.
 My personal preference is to go up first" he added. The only speci- fic information regarding the new age limits to be drawn from MT. Bak- CT was a statement that the limits of 19 to 40 had 4been among the sug- gestions convassed but rejected.
 May Be 19 to 40.
 In many quarters it is believed extension to the ages of 19 to 36 will be recommended.
 The reluctance of many members of congress to go lower than the 2l limit is still apparent. although there is evidence of strong sentiment to- ward carrying the maximum up as high as 45.
 Department Prefers Youths. There is no doubt, however. that war department officials would pre-. fer to draw on the classes of ls and 20 years old youths to fill the ranks and see no decided military advantage to be gained from any considerable extension upwards. The bulk of the new forces, ln MT. Bakers view, should be draw1 from the youngest class of men phy' sically able to stand the strain o modern warfare.
 From the purely army standpoint this has been a boys war from thf start. The quick recuperative pow l CTS of youth have been vitally neces sarv to the military machine undel the conditions of modern wafrarc Older men are slower to recover. ans are. therefore. of more limited us' to the army. .. On the other hand, however. ther' are a great number of men wht could be called out or the nls4e ages. even up to 45. A far gfeate l proportion of the men between Q and 45 have independent lnco.le Q, 1 than is true with the men oelow .' regarding the dependents tactor io exemption to that extent.
 To Have Enormous Army.
 As to the size of the army, 10 which this increased class one necessary no official has dropped
 hint. with the exception of Genera March, who, in announcing the crea ss! tion of July schedule of SIX new u, visions, followed by an August scne a; i dule of the same number. mas ln'' cated the embarkation upon sucn
 monthly program. It. oso nn
 At this rate approximately s.oas' sso,oo IA month would be sent oversee. their place in the home cantonnl1Ir, IIr to be taken by 250,00o new men. un Il der such schedule. With provlsi;u now existing for the raising ana t.al. r ing of 1,750,0O0 men in the U. ,. .h; h a full six months of training on 'n, side Doth in divisional and replacs ment camps. before men were sss s 1Continaed on Page Six. Column ;