Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 January 1918 — No New Draft Now Says Secretary Baker. [ARTICLE]

No New Draft Now Says Secretary Baker.

Washington, D. C., Jan. 30.—Two million men in France some time — unless the war ends before, they get there —is President Wilson’s maximum war program. A further call of selective troops has been indefinitely postponed, pending developments that are expected to indicate whether it will be necessary or possible to send to France more men than are already in the service at home and abroad. In other words, there will be no call, at least for a time, upon the men in class 1 of the new registration. The only men now liable to immediate call are the remnant of the first draft of 687,000 men who have not yet been summoned to camp because of the lack of clothing and equipment. These number approximately 140,000. These men will be called to the camps some time after Feb. 15. The secretary stated, that. he did not know when the summons would go forth. These general facts were made Wednesday by Secretary of War Baker in discussing his failure to present to the senate committee yesterday a definite outline of the administration’s military program. The secretary said the question of the number of men to be called to the colors and sent abroad will be determined mainly by two considerations : Developments in the military situation abroad. Available tonnage- to transport troops and maintain them. Mr. Baker told the senate committee on military affairs that thle United States will have 500,000 men in France “early in 1918,” and that there are 1,500,000 man in the training camps ready to go as soon as ships are available.