The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-06-06
C0WARDS IN COLLEGE.
FORM ORGANIZATION
TO ESCAPE CONSCRIPTION.
Conspiracy Discovered I'm New York
With Widespread Ramifcations to
Defeat Selective Draft Registra-
ton.

New York. May 31.-Federal agents
today took action here against an al
legged conspiracy to defeat selective
draft registrations in New York.
Three students. owen Cattell, son
Of James McKeen Cattell of Garri-
son, N. Y. noted psychologist and a
professor at Columbia: Charles E.
Phillips of Columbia, and Miss Elem
or Wilson Parker, who will be grad
uated In June from Barnard, were
arrested and held in $1,000 bail for
hearing tomorrow. Bail was furnish
ed. The three are members of the
Collegiate Anti-Militarism league in
the room of which a meeting OF col
lege students was held here May 8
when plans are alleged to have been
made against the peace of the United
States and their dignity"
A pamphlet of the organization on
file at the federal district attorneys
Office shows that 1t has members at
Yale. Harvard, Princeton. Cornell. Co.
lumbia. Oberlin, Amherst, Syracuse,
Hobart. Pennsylvania. Radcliffe. Bryn
Mawr. Iowa. Nevada, Leland STAN
ford. Rutgers and other colleges, uni
versities and theological institutions
throughout the country. Miss Parker
Is executive secretary.
According to- the complaint, filed
by Assistant United States Attorney
H. A. Content. Cattell, Phillips and
Miss Parker conspired to induce "di-
vers persons whose names are un-
known" u fail to register as required
by the selective draft act and the
proclamation Of President Wilson.
These divers persons are set forth
as males between the ages Of FL and
80 years. inclusive. ..
The defendants. alleged to be. a
committee selected at the May 8
meeting. are accused of having en-
deavOred on May "a to induce The
Graphic Press to print pamphlets en-
titled j"Will You be Drafted?" The
complaint alleges the three defendants
signed their names to manuscript
copy sent to The Graphic Press.
Cattell said after his arraignment
that the meeting on May 8 was at
tended by delegates representing col
lege atudents generally, including
those subject to the selective draft
A copy of the text Of the alleged
anti-copscription documents made
public by the federal authorities con-
tains the assertion:
I'VE; will approve the action. of
any one who refuses to register for
consumption"
The pamphlet says q resolution
was adopted at the May 8 meeting
"of members Of the Collegiate Anti
Militarism league and other persons"
setting forth "our reasons for con-
u0AthNi6 tiic uIdiI hCocUiC itoCAk.s IL
declares that the question Of con-
scription with It's implications for
the future" Is more important than
the question Of defeat or victory in
the war. and that conscription as
outlined in the new law is "abhor-
rent to any true conception Of de-
mocracy."
The present administration and
congress were elected presumably
because they were expected to keep
us out Of war;" the document asserts,
and when war was decided upon
there was no referendum, nor was
there referendum as to conscrip-
tion. the government remembering
perhaps that the referendum In Aus
tralia had resulted in two to one
vote against conscription.' .,
The pamphlet concludes with a
statement that "if we want to strike
with the full strength of our num-
bers we must refuse to register for
conscription-even II it puts us in
Jail We urge all conscientious
objectOrs to resist registration
even to the extent Of going to prison
IL necessary"