Summary of the Bill to Increase Temporarily the Military Establishment of the United States

Title

Summary of the Bill to Increase Temporarily the Military Establishment of the United States

Creator

Baker, Newton Diehl, 1871-1937

Identifier

WWP21052

Date

1917 March 29

Source

Library of Congress, Woodrow Wilson Papers, 1786-1957

Language

English

Text

The bill contemplates --

1. REGULAR ARMY:

(a) Increase of the Regular Army up to the five increments authorized, or such part or parts thereof as the President may deem necessary; to be maintained at the maximum enlisted strength authorized by law by voluntary enlistment, supplemented by selective draft to the extent necessary.

(b) Temporary appointments for the period of the emergency to all vacancies in the Regular Army created or caused by the addition of increments, which vacancies cannot be filled by promotion.

2. NATIONAL GUARD AND NATIONAL GUARD RESERVE:

(a) To be drafted under section 111 of the National Defense Act for the period of the emergency.

(b) To be maintained at maximum legal strength by voluntary enlistment, supplemented by selective draft to the extent deemed necessary.

3. ADDITIONAL FORCES:

(a) First unit of 500,000 enlisted men, or such part or parts thereof as the President may deem necessary; with authority to raise a second unit of like strength, or such part or parts thereof as the PresidentWoodrow Wilson may deem necessary. Organizations thereof to be maintained at maximum legal strength. To be raised and maintained exclusively by selective draft.

(b) To be officered by officers of the Officers' Reserve Corps and from the additional classes prescribed in section 7 of the Volunteer Act of April 25, 1914. (1)

4. RECRUIT UNITS:

To be organized for each of the above classes of forces as the PresidentWoodrow Wilson may deem necessary for the maintenance of those classes at their maximum legal strength, with authority to officer and equip such units. To be raised and maintained exclusively by selective draft.

5. SELECTIVE DRAFT:

(a) Based on universal liability to military service of male citizens or persons who have declared their intention to become citizens between the ages of 19 and 25, and all persons of this class to have the obligation of reporting themselves for registration.

(b) Quotas to be raised to be distributed according to representative population and to be selected by lot.

(c) Credits to districts for number who have entered the Regular Army or National Guard by voluntary enlistment.

(d) Failure to report for registration, resistance of registration and draft, penalized.

(e) Exemption from the draft as provided in the Act of January 21, 1903 (Dick Bill) and in the National Defense Act, and in addition --

(1) Those engaged in industrial pursuits necessary to maintenance and operation of military forces;

(2) Those in a status toward dependents rendering their exemption advisable. (2)

(f) All departments, officers or agents of the United States, and of the several States, Territories and the District of Columbia, placed at the disposition of the PresidentWoodrow Wilson in the execution of the registration and draft.

6. ENLISTMENT CONTRACT:

For the period of the emergency, and made uniform for all these forces by requiring the qualifications and conditions for enlistment to be as now provided by law for the Regular Army, with the maximum age limit for enlistment increased to 40 years.

7. GENERAL OFFICERS:

Authority for the PresidentWoodrow Wilson to appoint for the period of the emergency general officers of appropriate grades for the higher tactical units to be organized under the bill.

8. PAY ALLOWANCES AND PENSIONS:

Officers and enlisted men of National Guard and additional forces placed on same footing as to pay and allowances, and pensions, as the Regular Army.

9. USE OF OFFICERS AND ENLISTED MEN:

All restrictions upon detail, detachment, and employment in a military capacity of officers and enlisted men of the Regular Army suspended for period of the emergency.

_________________
Note 1: (a) Those duly qualified and registered pursuant to sec. 23 of the Act of Congress approved January 21, 1903; (b) the National Guard drafted into the service of the United States; (c) those who have been graduated from educational institutions at which military instruction is compulsory; (d) those who have had honorable service in the Regular Army, National Guard or the Volunteer forces; (e) the country at large; (f) retired officers and enlisted men of the Regular Army.

Note 2: Legislative exemptions -- (a) Vice President of the United States; (b) legislative, executive and judicial officers of the United States and of the several States and Territories; (c) persons in the military and naval service of the United States; (d) members of well recognized religious sects organized and existing at date of Act whose creed forbids members to participate in war, and whose religious convictions are against war.

  Executive exemptions -- (a) Custom house clerks; (b) persons engaged in the transmission of the mails; (c) artificers and workmen employed in armories, arsenals and navy yards of thhe United States; (d) other persons employed in the service of the United States as the PresidentWoodrow Wilson may designate; (e) pilots; (f) mariners actually employed in sea service of any citizen or merchant within the United States; (g) persons engaged in industrial pursuits necessary to maintenance and operation of military forces; (h) persons in a status with respect to persons dependent upon them for support which renders their exemption advisable; (i) the physically and morally unfit.

Original Format

Memorandum

To

Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924

Files

http://resources.presidentwilson.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/WWI0154A.pdf

Collection

Citation

Baker, Newton Diehl, 1871-1937, “Summary of the Bill to Increase Temporarily the Military Establishment of the United States,” 1917 March 29, WWP21052, World War I Letters, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.