Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 143, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 July 1917 — Branch Chairmen Urged to Got More Applications. [ARTICLE]

Branch Chairmen Urged to Got More Applications.

Following is a report from the military training camps association: The applications are not coming in rapidly enough, evidently many who have taken applications blanks are holding them. This should be avoided especially from the younger men, as the examining officers now have plenty of time to give careful consideration to their merits. We have been told that large numbers of men who are otherwise well qualified for leadership are not putting in applications because they . think that previous military experience is necessary. The typographical construction of the printed memorandum of information, section 4, qualifications, gives this impression for it is not until you get down to the last half of (h) that you come to the “Citizens who have demonstrated ability for leadership.” These will form the large majority of your applicants. If they look back over the whole section of qualifications they may think that they form only the tail end, but as a matter of fact the number of men with previous military experience now -remaining in civil life in this country is very small and 90 per cent of the men who will be accepted for the second officers’ training camps will have had no previous military experience. The training camps are held to give them this military experience. It is to be clearly noted that the minimum age is 20 years and 9 months and that any person of that age or older may put in applications. It is quite natural that the government should give the preference to older men who are just as well qualified as younger men, but there will not be a great number of older men and this will leave great opportunities for the younger men. This is especially favorable for men of 25 years of age, who should be encouraged to put in their applications. _____