Remarks at the Preliminary Demonstration of Industrial Index Operations for the Provost Marshall General - April 19, 1918
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Remarks at the Preliminary Demonstration of Industrial Index Operations for the Provost Marshal General. 19 April, 1918 General, this operation which is now to be demonstrated will take but a few minutes. But I ask you to remember that underneath and behind it all have been necessary the labors of thousands of persons spending thousands of hours of time; that these labors have involved a minimum of ten operations with each card and sometimes twice as many, or upwards of one hundred million different operations. The object of these labors to verify every detail and to check and eliminate the scores of sources of error which lurk in all human judgment, and to economize every moment of time that could be saved by systematization. And if at times it may have seemed to you that the results were slow in coming, and that they system was needlessly complex for such simple results, we will ask you to remember that we have throughout taken the best expert advice in every quarter, and that we are convinced that the processes have been as concise and rapid as was consistent with accuracy. Let me further point out that this system has had to face three enormous problems which have never before been attemped in this country, nor probably in any other country of the world outside of our enemy Germany, and incidentally that we are by this task equalizing the balance somewhat in the titanic struggle with that country. The first problem was the mechanical one,- to secure and assemble nine million cards from 4500 boards, verify them in twenty different points, then reassemble them in accessible manner by occupations and by locations, - not merely so as to amass statistics, but so as to be able to use each man individually, or by groups, and to locate the kind of man in the place where he was. This mechanical problem has seen an enormous one, and though it has still many items to solve, we are sure that we see daylight on all of them.
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[page 2] The second problem was the economic one,- to be able to fill the army
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[page 3] Now a brief summary of the operations method here to be shown: The necessity for the Industrial Index arises fro the need of the Army for between 200,000 and 300,000 men of various kinds of occupational skill, representing some 400 occupations in all. These men are to be found and selected at their homes, and then inducted and sent directly to the Camps and units where they are needed. The several Staff Corps notify the General Staff of their needs, from time to time. One of our difficulties is due to the fact that these proposals are changed often, and can seldom be notified accurately to us long in advance. The Operations Committee of the General Staff makes the final decision as to how many men of each kind shall be raided, and whether they shall be obtained form the run of the draft (unclassified men) or from special occupations, and whether they shall be raised by draft or by individual induction, and whether they shall first go to a training school. They also determine the Camps to which the men shall be sent. This decision is then transmitted by the Adjutant General
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[page 4] called for, must be translated into the terms used in our Index, each of which has a key number. This calls for varied technical knowledge, and is a matter of much delicacy and occasional doubt. (3) Quantity Notation. Next, the quantities of desired men available, both in the Nation at large and in each State, must be ascertained and noted. All this is shown by our Form 3002 (of Files Summary) and our Occupational Ledger. (4) Allotment. Next, in the light of the seamounts, the number of men called for in the Requisition must be allotted by States and by Occupations. This is to be determined by the Executive Council; for in the near future it may involve serious economic and industrial problems. It must be allotted by States, because a small requisition will be given to a few States only; and because a large one will be spread over such States as have not heretofore contributed much from that particular occupation. It may also have to be allotted by occupations, because if the requisition is a large one, and if already that occupation has been well drained by former requisitions, it will be necessary to substitute the next best equivalent occupation. This decision by the Executive Council will also be based on considerations of Camp location and the like, as furnished by the Mobilization Division. (5) Listing. The last stage is the listing. When the allotments to States are fixed, typists are set to copying the order and serial numbers of all men indeed for that occupation in that State. These lists are prepared on blank forms, one for each Local Board. So far as the Adjutant General can give us prior warning of the specific occupation to be called for, these lists will have been prepared here before hand. The lists are then sent to the Mobilization Division for later transmission to the Governors, who make the allotments within their States.
Details
Title | Remarks at the Preliminary Demonstration of Industrial Index Operations for the Provost Marshall General - April 19, 1918 |
Creator | Unknown |
Source | Unknown. Remarks at the Preliminary Demonstration of Industrial Index Operations for the Provost Marshall General. 19 April 1918. Crowder, Enoch H. (1859-1932), Papers, 1884-1942. C1046. The State Historical Society of Missouri, Columbia, MO. |
Description | Letter to the Provost Marshal General, Enoch H. Crowder, concerning the production of military supplies. This document is part of a collection compiled by Enoch Herbert Crowder, the Edinburg, Grundy County, Missouri native who served as Judge Advocate General. Crowder devised the Selective Service Act in 1917 which drafted America's forces during World War I. |
Subject LCSH | Crowder, E. H. (Enoch Herbert), 1859-1932; World War, 1914-1918--Equipment and supplies; Operational rations (Military supplies); Draft |
Subject Local | WWI; World War I |
Site Accession Number | C1046 |
Contributing Institution | The State Historical Society of Missouri |
Copy Request | Transmission or reproduction of items on these pages beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the State Historical Society of Missouri: 1020 Lowry Street, Columbia, Missouri, 65201-7298. (573) 882-7083. |
Rights | The text and images contained in this collection are intended for research and educational use only. Duplication of any of these images for commercial use without express written consent is expressly prohibited. |
Date Original | April 19, 1918 |
Language | English |