Republican farmer., 1918-08-23
Must Be Actually Support ing Dependents to Escape
 Under New Bill. MUST ALSO BE IN USEFUL OCCUPATIONS Secretary, Chief of Staff and Gen. Crowder Appear Be
 fore Committee.

Washington, Aug. 19-No general exemption of married men simply because of their married status is contemplated by the war department in pre-, pairing for the proposed exten- sion of draft ages, Secretary Baker declared today in a state ment before the house mili- tary committee on the new ad- ministration man power bill. MT. Baker said his previous remarks on this subject had been misconstrued, and that married men who do not support their families and who are not engaged in useful occupations, will | continue to be called.
 There are many married men in | the country who ought to go and l fight as freely as single men," he add ed.
 | The War Secretary, with Gen. March and Provost Marshal General Crowder, appeared before the House committee at open hearings to reiter- ate their explanation given to the Sen ate that immediately enactment of the man power bill is imperative in order to carry out the enlarged war pro gram.
 There are two ways of prosecuting this war" said MT. Baker. "One way is to make every possible effort
 
 ceed somewhat more leisurely and do 1t later. The obvious advantage from | every standpoint social, military, in- dustrial and economic, is to put forth every effort in this country and win the war as soon as possible" Leaving an explanation of the man power situation to Gen. Crowder, the secretary announced that because of objections to calling boys of Is he had planned to defer their call as long as possible and would not object to placing a provision in the bill making a separate class of men between IS and 19 years and for deferring calling them "as far as practicable" until after others in Class 1 had been ex-
 hausted.
 There is a sentiment in this com
 mittee," said MT. Baker, q don't know how large, against calling men
 as young as IS unless it is absolutely
 necessary. think the sentiment of
 the country is to. get all the men
 necessary. But from the beginning
 have planned, as a matter of regula
 ton, to have men from IS to 19 put
 in q separate class, with a view to
 deferring their call until it is neces-
 sary."
 He added that this preference
 might well be left to executive regu-
 lation, but he would have no objec- ton to having a specific provision written into the bill.
 Regarding exemption of married men, Secretary Baker was closely eX- amined by committee members. Rep resentative Tilson of Connecticut Sug- : gested that many men are married to evade the new draft, and that the bill should provide that those married . after the new bill was introduced ' should not be exempt. Mir. Baker : said such a rigid provision of the law was unnecessary; that the department could disregard all marriages made to . evade the new law.
 As to how long before men called . under the new law will go across MT.
 Baker said not more than six months training would be given at home. In extending the draft ages Secre- 9 tary Baker said, suspension of aca- l demic education is an "unsolved prob l lem of the situation, and that it = would be most unfortunate to have al, ', collegiate education stopped. He be- t lieved there still would be many s youths left at school, but was against n exemption of college students as a = class. as thoroughly undemocratic ' : Scientifically trained experts however d are needed and education of such men s must be continued to an extent. Men - injured in the war will be sent to col e leges after they recover, the secretary . explained. and thus to some extent fill = up academic institutions. Regarding
 present exemptions of divinity stu o dents, he said, their draft for army f chaplains is urged.
 : The departments plans, MT. Baker t said, are to call all the younger men e by the middle of next year-but sub- l. stanially after the school year l. e throuGh