War and the Federal Service

In time of war, there is a tremendous growth in the number of federal employees. This is due both to the establishment of new war agencies and to an expansion in the activities of existing agencies whose work constitutes a part of the war effort. Coincident with the growth of the federal service in war-time is the contraction of the area from which new employees can be selected. Many persons otherwise eligible for government employment either volunteer or are drafted for military service, while others are attracted by the lure of higher salaries in industry. Thus the problem of securing and retaining the services of an adequate and efficient body of government employees becomes in time of war a far more serious one than in time of peace. It is the purpose of this article to describe the principal means which the federal government is using to obtain the additional civilian personnel needed for the present war effort.