The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1919-04-12
HOLD MANY DRAFT
MEN after PEACE
Somepf Them to Be Kept in Serv-
ice for the Full
Period
STAFF PLANS ARMY increase
Secretary of War Baker Announces
Selects Discharge Depends on
Speed in Getting Volunteers
for the New Army.

Washington, April 9.--Large num-
bers of drafted men who have been
looking forward to early demobiliza-
tion are doomed to disappointment,
Many are to be kept in service for the
full period allowed by the law, which
Is four ths after peace has been
deelareas
!, z s 81 d slss st ! rtrasnt desires 70 keep
these Aen~fn service until a satlsfac-
tory number of enlistments have been
obtained under the general staff plan
of increasing the regular army to 5OO,-
600 men.
Announced by Baker.
The decision to this effect is con-
tained in letter of Secretary Baker
to Senator Reed of Missouri, made pub
lie here. 1t was written just before
Secretary Baker left Washington for
Europe.
Secretary Baker wrote that enlist
ments were coming in slowly adding:
"As enlistments can be made only
up to the authorized strength of the
regular army and this strength is not
sufficient to meet all the necessities
existing for troops, it will be neces-
sary to retain a large number of the
selective men in the army until such
time as the war department may be
empowered by congress to raise by
voluntary enlistments sufficient num-
ber of men to perform the duties re-
quired"
In explaining the war departments
delay in demobilizing the men, Secre-
tary Baker, in another part of the let
ter, places the blame partly upon the
British shipping interests, which have
taken their ships away for use in trade
and for the transportation of the Brit
ish colonials. The letter says:
practically one-half of our troops
sent abroad were carried in British
ships the use of which we cannot have
at the present time, as they are being
employed in returning British colonial
troops to their homes and in readjust-
ing the worlds food stocks elsewhere"
Returned as Rapidly as Possible.
Secretary Baker said the troops are
being returned to the United States
as rapidly as possible, with due regard
to the transportation facilities and the
necessity of maintaining an armed
force In Europe. He explained that it
has been necessary to retain in the
service great many units of the de-
barkation force andaof the motor
transport corps to- llitate the move
ment of troops WI n are to be demo-
bilized. Members of the medical
corps have had to be retained, also, in
order that the sick and wounded may
properly be cared for. On this point
Secretary Baker says:
"It Is no more possible to discharge
men who have been retained for the
purpose Of performing the necessary
| work connected with debarkation, de-
| mobilization, convalescent centers, hos
| pitals, domestic guard duty, aviation
fields, government stores, border po-
lice, garrisoning insular possessions
ETC., than it would have been in the
! midst of the war to have moved men
out Of trenches where they were fac
| ing the enemy before other men were
| in their places to relieve them"
Secretary Baker adds that General
Pershing has designated for return tc
the United States 221,000 for April
! 24S,0O0l for May and 270,000 for June
and that the execution Of the schedule
depends upon the available shipping