Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 82, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 April 1919 — PLEASANT NEWS FOR THOSE STILL IN SERVICE. [ARTICLE]

PLEASANT NEWS FOR THOSE STILL IN SERVICE.

Washington, April 7.—Large numbers of drafted men who have been looking forward to early demobilization are doomed to disappointment. Many are to be kept in service for the full period * allowed by the law, which is four months after peace has been declared. The War Department desires to keep these men in service until a satisfactory number of enlistments have been obtained under the general staff plan of increasing the regular army to 500,000 men. , The decision to this effect is contained in a letter of Secretary Baker to Senator Reed of Missouri, made public today. It was written just before Secretary Baker left Washington for Europe. - // Secretary Baker wrote that enlistments were coming in slowly and added: “As enlistments can be made only up to the authorized strength of the regular army and this strength is not sufficient to meet all the necessities existing for troops, it will be necessary to retain a large number of the selective men in the army until such time as the War Department may be empowered by Congress to raise by voluntary enlistments a sufficient number of men to perform the duties required.” (In explaining the delay in demobilizing the men, Secretary Baker placed the blame partly upon the British shipping interests, which have taken their ships away for use and for the transportation of British colonials.