Evening Republican, Volume 59, Number 71, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 April 1917 — ASK SERVICES OF MILLIONS OF MEN [ARTICLE]

ASK SERVICES OF MILLIONS OF MEN

Every American Citizen Will Be Called Upon “To Do His Bit”—Selective Draft May Be Used. Washington, D. C., April 13.—National senrice for every American is the principle upon which the administration began today to found its plans for the conduct of the war with Germany. Every American citizen will be called upon to do “’his bit" toward the achievement of victory. President Wilson and his cabinet, in a two hour session, mapped out the national service program. This program calls for millions of soldiers for tjje economic as well as the martial legions that will be arrayed against Germany. Here are the principal forces to be enlisted: An army of 2,000,000 fighting men to be raised and trained within the next two years. A navy of 200,000 men to be raised and trained within the next vear. An army of 2,000,000 men to be recruited at once to supply labor needs in increasing crop production. An army of 200,000 skilled artisans to build 1,000 wooden freight vessels a year for the transport of food and war munitions to the forces fighting Germany. An army of 5,000,000 or more skilled and unskilled laborers to produce war munitions and materials. A multitude of new com missions to organize the national efficiency to be created. It is intended to profit by the mistakes of Great Britain in mobilization of national .resources and to establish in .this country the machinery for utilizing man power most effectively which has • ’•oved successful in England. It is possible that eventually all of these forces will be organized on the compulsory service principle. A proposal to apply selective conscription to the army to all men between the ages of 21 and 40 is growing in favor in congress and in the administration. If this plan should be adopted all men of these ages would be registered and examined to ascertain the national service for which each individual is best fitted. Able bodied men without dependents would be registered as subject to call to military service unless shown by virtue of skill to be of greater value to the nation as industrial workers. The agricultural laborers would be drafted from classes not eligible to military service and unfitted for skilled industrial work.