Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 132, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 June 1917 — MILLION MEN TO FRANCESOON [ARTICLE]

MILLION MEN TO FRANCESOON

ILLINOIS AND NEW YORK FIRST TROOPS TO GO—PERSHING TO BE REINFORCED. Washington, June 19.—America’s plans for participation in the war unfolded rapidly today. These things became known: 1. There will be a second draft within a few months after the first 625,000 conscripts go into training. 2. Pershing’s division will be reinforced immediately by another larfee force of picked troops and by September Ist divisions of National Guardsmen will be moving overseas. 3. The New York National Guard will be the first. They will be followed by the Illinois militia. Indications today were that the second draft will be made not later than November and will call probably another 625,000 men. More may be called, as the general staff is planning to fill all vacancies through this draft. It may be 1,000,000 will be selected, making 1,625,000 before Christmas. If necessary, men exempted on the first draft will be called. Army officials are concentrating on getting transport facilities to move the great force overseas. By spring, according t& indications, the United States will be represented on the European battlefields by not less than 500,000 men, and by summer the number probably will be 1,000,000. The war department selected the New York and Illinois guardsmen as the first militia to go to Europe because each state has a complete division and the men can be moved as a. unit and because their work on the border satisfied the army authorities they have sufficient training. Also, they can be better spared than regulars needed to train the draft army.

President Wilson is expected within the next two days tq issue a proclamation setting a date for the draft and establishing the exemption machinery. Army surgeons today estimated that nearly 40 per cent of the men registered will be rejected on the first draft, so severe are the examinations. Nearly 1,000,000 must be drawn to get the 625,000 for the first levy. Rejections in the regular army now average from 40 to 60 per cent. The men accepted will form the best army, physically, in the world. In no other army are the physical requirements so hard to meet. Even Germany’s army is picked on a less stringent standard.