Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1918-08-14

urging prompt enactment OF the new draft
bill extending the ages to include men
between eighteen and forty-five.
Mr.. Baker proposes to let the govern
ment decide whether a man should be ex
empted from military duty, and in order
to reach such decision he proposes that
each registrant shall be called on to an
swer series OF questions which will de.
termine his family relations, his RESPONSE
bilities TO his dependents, II he has any,
and his place 10 the industrial affairs of
the nation. Upon these answers will de-
pend the governments action with regard
to calling him to the colors. No regis
trsnt will be allowed to waive exemption
or to ask it.
NJ. Baker declared he was not satisfied
With the present system by which a man
might claim or waive exemption from
military service, and asserted that he be-
lieved the government should decide such
questions, since many men with depen-
dents hesitate to ask exemption for res-
sons which are purely patriotic. He said
that at the present time he thought mar
risge would in itself constitute sufficient
reason for placing registrants in de-
ferred classification.
The war department now is working
on a series of questions which it is pro-
posed to require each registrant to answer.
With these questions before them officials
OF the department will be in position to
judge the status OF each man in the COM
munity TO which he belongs, and to the
nation in general. In this way, 1t was
asserted, il is proposed to eliminate de-
tendency and thus to solve one OF the
biggest problems that arises out OF the
war.
Mr.. Baker said definitely that no plan
for extending the work or fight" rules
to professional classes or beyond its
present scope was under consideration.
The war secretary contemplates divid-
ing all registrants into two classes so far
as those in class one. The first would be
composed of men between eighteen and
ninteen years, and the second OF those be-
tween nineteen and torty-five years. The
object is to provide that the eighteen-y year
old class shall be drawn upon only when
the man power situation makes it abso-
lutely necessary.
MERCHANT MARINE ESLIsTMENTs.
With a view to drawing as lightly as
possible upon men available for active
military service and at the same time
meet the urgent demand for man power
for the merchant marine, which is proving
one OF the country's most powerful assets
in winning the war, new age limits have
been fixed by the recruiting service OF
the United States shipping board for men
entering Uncle Sans merchant marine.
From nov on young men will be ac-
cepted as sailors, cooks and stewards on,
ali American vessels making mercantile
voyages, provided they are between eigh-
teen and twenty years and pass through
training course provided by the shipping
board on its fleet Of training ships.
Men between the ages of thirty-two and
thirty-five inclusive will also be accepted
in the same way for these three ratings.
Hitherto all the 5000 men a month &C.
cepted for training by the shipping board
and subsequent service in MERCHANTS
crews have been within the present draft
age limits OF twenty-one to thirty-one.
The age limits for officers wishing to
train for the merchant marine are much
wider, nineteen to fitty-fiye inclusive, and
only men Who have spent two years at sea
will be accepted at the navigation schools.
New age limits for firemen are twenty-one
TO thirty-one, and men who have fred six
months on boilers OF fifteen pounds pres
sure will be given special training as oil
ers and watertenders.