The weekly Alaska citizen., 1918-08-26
FOR AND AGAINST

versity of opinion, and many reasons are being advanced both for and against the ex- tension of the draft age as it is set forth by this bill. The principal point of controversy is over the age from eighteen to twenty-one. The extension from thirty-two to forty-hve seems to meet with approval.
 To be able to see the reasons for the controversy, birdseye view of the place that the United States holds in the war may help. When a state of war was first declared to be in existence between Uncle Sam and the imperial German government the American nations were engaged in a great manufactur- ing of war materials. First thought was that the most that this country could do to help was to keep manufacturing to the highest degree of efficiency; that this, with loans of money, would be sufficient
 Later it was found that there must be men supplied from America; that the allied nations had not great enough man power to do the trick alone So the great National Army of the United States came into being.
 But every effort was made not to inter fere with those industries that are so vital 10 the carrying on of the war. The part that the United States plays in this regard is very important, one of the most important sides of her whole participation in the strug- gle. And this fact must not be lost sight of in consideration of the present problem There are many reasons why 1t does not seem wise to call the young men of the ages from eight cen to twenty-one. The first and perhaps the most important one is their immaturity They are young both mentally and physically. They have not finished their education, and are not fully developed bodily. They will not make as good soldiers now as they will three years from now.
 Another reason of importance is that they represent the strength of the future na- tion. Every blow at the youth of the country is a blow at the future of the land. They are power for the future of immense poten- tialities They are more to be protected than any other class of men that could be called for military service.
 On the other hand there are some pret- ty valid reasons for including these boys in the draft.
 There is some doubt about the number of men available for draft of the ages from forty-one to forty-fve. It is claimed that there will be comparatively small number of that age who will be fit for military ser vice. And here is where the danger of dis rupting the essential war industries comes in Many of the men from the ages of twenty to forty are engaged in the work that is so necessary for success at arms. They are, many of them, skilled workmen for whom it would be hard to find substitutes It would pretty nearly paralyze the industries at which they are engaged to take them out now for military service. But why not take men from the industries that are not essentially war time workers? may be asked. There are many factories that could be shut down for the duration of tie war as far as tleir ne- cessity for the success of the struggle is con- cerned. But conditions after the war have to be carefully considered
 There must not be too great an up- heaval of industry or there will be, of neces- slty, very difficult period of readjustment after the conclusion of the war. Therefore 1t IS deemed wise to allow many manufactur- CTS to keep their business running where the business IS ot sufficient importance in times of peace.
 This is the most important reason why the draft age should include the youth from the ages ot eighteen to tWenty-one. But there are others that may seem more or less valid to some who study the situation
 It is a we'll known fact that at this age boys learn very quickly. These youths would learn the rudiments of the military science very rapidly, though their possibilities as com pared with those of the men of more mature years would be considerably less ultimately.
 They would not be old enough to be firmly established in whatever line of work they intended to follow for life. The mii- tary training would be more or less in the nature of preliminary training for their life work. It certainly would have its ele- nents ot value as such. It would broaden