*ODflirial 1 PUBLISED DAILY UNDER ORDER OF THE PRESIDENT BY THE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC INFORMATION GEORGE CREEL, CHAIRMAN Vol. 1. l-VA‘SIIINGTON, SA'i‘UltDAY,-AUGUST 18, 1917. N0. 85. NATION NOW HAS 943,141 MEN PENSION LAWYERS MUST LET URGENT NEED FDR BIG WHEAT 1N iTS ARMED FORCES ON SEA BUREAU FIX COMPENSATION CROP NEXT YEAR OUTLINED BY AND LAND; ALL VOLUNTEERS The United States Commissioner of SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE Pensions has issued the following order: 710,024 IN THE ARMY AND GUARD Attorneys or agents shall not use or MUST AID EUROPE AFTER THE WAR permit any of their employees to act as Naval Strength Is 233,]17—Total identifying or attesting witnesses to any Mr. Houston Tells Agricultural application, affidavit, power of attorney, Number Ofiering Themselves for fee agreement, or other paper, filed in the Leaders of Gratifying Response prosecution of a claim for pension or Service Since War Began bounty land warrant. From Farming Agencies—— Attorneys or agents shall not contract Is 1,300,000. for, dcmand, or receive, directly or in Returns to Be Profitable. directly, any compensation whatsoever, There are to-day 943,141 men in the for advice or consultation concerning the The Department of Agriculture author armed forces of the United States—all pension and bounty land laws, except izes the following: volunteers. ‘ such compensation as may be lawfully The first of a series of five regional con Since the declaration of war, approxi paid by order of the Commissioner of ferences of agricultural leaders to con mately 1,800,000 men have offered them Pensions, whether a claim has been or is sider steps to promote interest in the selves for service in the fighting forces thereafter filed for the person in whose program for winter wheat and rye plant of the country. During the time this behalf such advice or consultation is bad. ing this fall was held here August 15. country has been a belligerent 121,514 Any attorney or agent who shall violate The conference was opened by Secretary men have volunteered for service in the the provisions of this or the preceding of Agriculture D. F. Houston. In addi Navy and Marine Corps and been ac section shall be held thereafter incom tion to some of the New England States, cepted. In the Regular Army the in petent to prosecute claims before the Bu New, York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, crease since April 1 by volunteer enlist reau of Pensions within the meaning of Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Vir ment has been 190,347, and in the section 5 of the act of July 4, 1884, and ginia, and North Carolina were repre National Guard 186,998, a total of 327,345 shall thereby subject himself to suspen sented. enlistments in the Army branches, and a sion or disbarment to practice before Speech by Secretary Houston. said bureau. grand total of 448,859 in both Army and Secretary Houston, in addressing the Navy. Even this figure does not include conference, spoke of the organization and all who have been accepted for service since the United States entered the war, PART OF THE AMERICAN FORCES coordination of agricultural agencies for for there have been additions to the va more effective assistance in the present WILL GO TO CUBA FOR TRAINING crisis. The response, he said, of all the rious reserve corps, but these figures are agricultural agencies has been tre not all available. The largest single The Government of Cuba has offered in mendously gratifying. The farmers have item is that of the 27,841 men recently done their part with enthusiasm and pa commissioned from the oiiicers’ training a most friendly spirit to the Government of the United States the use of training triotism and, for the most part they were camps. favored by Nature. The result is, as you These figures were gathered from the grounds in that Republic for the Ameri can forces. know, that in a number of important most recent official returns of the Army crops the Nation will have this year and Navy which are available but, espe This generous offer has been accepted by this Government, and careful consid enormous yields. cially in the case of the Army figures, “ But singularly enough. from a mili accuracy down to the last unit is not eration has been given to the question as to which of the American forces would be tary standpoint, we were unfortunate in possible. respect to the very crop of which we have The land forces are as follows: most benefited by training in the Island of Cuba. the most immediate and pressing need. Enlisted Wheat bread seems to be peculiarly the Oiliccrs. men. This question has now been determined, war bread, due to its own special charac Be at Army 6, 00 298,996 and American forces will proceed to the National Guar __ 11,000 300, 000 eastern end of Cuba for training at an teristics as well as to the habits of Euro eserve Corps___.'-. _______ 10, 500 55, 487 early date. pean nations with whom we are asso cserve Corps (from train ciated in this war. It was not the farmcrs' ing camps) ____________ 27, 341 The action on the part of President Menocal in making this friendly offer is fault that we did not have a large wheat Totals_________ _________ 55, 541 654. 483 considered as a further proof of Cuba’s crop. A large acreage was planted, but desire to give cordial cooperation to the there was a tremendous winter killing; Total land forces-___' __________ 710. 024 United States of America and to be of and so we have the very short crop of The sea forces are as follows: every assistance to it in the war which last year followed by a short crop this year. _ gegular Navy, enlisted men ________ 188, 500 both countries are now waging for the avai Reserves, enlisted men ______ 35 000 rights of humanity against the Imperial Naval Militia. in Federal Service, en Larger Wheat Production Essential. listed en_ ____________________ 11,000 German Government. “ It is highly essential that we omit no llospiiai orps, Regular Navy, en step to secure a production of wheat dur llsicd men ________ ,_ ____________ 6,000 Hospital Corps, Naval Reserves, en 1,021 NEW ARMY BECBUITS. ing the next year which will be greatly in listh men _____________________ 400 excess of the normal needs of this Nation. Marine Corps, ofllcers and enlisted Reports to The Adjutant General‘s 0f My own conviction is that, whether we men ___________________________ 33,117 fice show that enlistments for the Begu have peace or war, this Nation is going to lar Army on August 17 amounted to 224,077 be called upon for some time to come to Approximate number of naval 1,021, making a total of 192.438 accepted feed a considerable part of the population oiflcers ________________________ 9, 040 eniistments since April 1, 1917. of Europe and to furnish it with agricul— 238, 117 tural supplies and equipment. Show your patriotism by contributing (Continued on page 3.) to the American Red Cross Fund. _/ (Continued on page 5.) ARE YOU SAVING Your Money to Invest in the Second Issue of THE LIBERTY LOAN 9 1 2 THE OFFICIAL BULLETIN: SATURDAY, AUGUST 18, 1917. Duty of Government to Provide Family Allowance, Indemnity, and Insurance for Soldiers and_Sailors, Says Secretary of Treasury By W. G. McAnoo, The Nation having been forced to re the highest sense a discharge by the Gov ernment of an essential duty to society. Secretary of the Treasury. sort to the draft in order to create quickly an army to save the country is under a Military service is now obligatory; The number of claims for exemption higher obligation to do these things for those who imperil themselves have no from military duty under the draft law its fighting forces than if a volunteer election. The insurance companies do has caused a painful impression in many army only was created. This great and not and can not permit this fact to affect quarters, but, after all, does not the fact rich Republic can not afford to do less, their calculations. They .must protect that no provision has yet been made by and it must do what is proposed in a themselves by charging premiums so high the Government for the support of the spirit of gratitude and not as charity. that they are secured against loss no wives and children, mothers or fathersof Every soldier and sailor who serves his matter how severe the rate of mortality the men who have been drafted explain country in this war will earn everything may be. Consequently, the very men many of these claims for exemption? the proposed war-insurance bill provides; who are called into the service because Under the draft law the Government to be a beneficiary of the proposed law their physical condition is of the ,best. has the power to require every able will be a badge of honor. and who as civilians would for that rea bodied man between 21 and 31 years of When we draft the wage earner, we son be able to secure the most favorable age to perform military duty. Thou call not only him but the entire family to insurance rate in peace time, are denied sands of the drafted men are wage earn the flag; the sacrifice entailed is not as soldiers the necessary life insurance ers who married years ago and are the divisible. The wife and children, the to enable them to protect their families sole support of dependent families.