Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 117, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 May 1918 — MEANS FULL USE OF ALL MAN POWER [ARTICLE]

MEANS FULL USE OF ALL MAN POWER

Washington, May 24.—Another move toward full utilization of the country’s manpower was made today when Secretary Baker sent to congress the draft of a bill proposing to raise the maximum age hmit for voluntary enlistment in the army from 40 to 55 years. AU men over 40 so enlisted would be assigned to non-combatant service. In a letter to Speaker Clark asking that the bill be pushed, Secretary Baker said: “Every man above the age of 40 years who is enlisted in non-com-batant branches of the services will make available for duty with the line troops, men within the prescribed age limit for all troops. 1 “Many men whose long experience as mechanics and artisans will make them particularly valuable to the various staff corps and departments may thus be jsecured instead of younger men without such experience and the efficiency of the staff corps and the departments thus wiU be increased.” There probably are 7,500,000 men between the ages of 40 and 55 and many thousands of them already have expressed their desire to serve by bombarding the department with applications. While the great majority of the men in this class undoubtedly will be restrained from enlisting by family and business ties, the number at liberty to join the colors is expected to be more than sufficient to meet the purpose in view.