The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1917-08-10
Rules for Mobilization Place and
All Plans in Charge of
Local Boards.
DETAILS OF CALL GIVEN
Exemption Boards to Gather Members
of New Army Together at Hotels,
or Elsewhere, and Be Ready
to Start for Training Camp
Within Few Hours.
CROWDER ASKS GODSPEED FOR
DRAFTED MEN.

from Provost Marshal General Crow
der, the man in charge of the draft, to
the American people:
'On September 1 the first quota of the
national army will be called into serv-
Ice. These men are going forth to fight
for their country. Each community
from which they volunteer should show
In fitting manner its appreciation of
their patriotic service ard sacrifices.
II suggest that patriotic observances
mark the day. I ask that the saloons
be closed. And will the fellow citizens
of the volunteers go with them to the
stations and wish them Godspeed?"
Washington, Aug. 1O.-Revised regu-
lat1ons to govern physical examina-
tion of men registered under the selec-
tive draft were issued by Surgeon Gen
raj GOrgas of the army and communi-
Gated to the governors of the states
for information Of local boards. The
changes deal for the most part with
questions of prOpOrt1Onate weight and
height, but may result in the recall Of
some men rejected heretofore on ply
sical grounds.
Boards in Charge of Men.
Local exemption boards will be in
full charge Of assembling the men
called to the colors September 1. They
will give the new fighting force it's
actual induction into military life,
provide the men with meals, shelter
and transportation, and escort them
personally to the train for the mobili-
zation camps. The civilian control of
the men will continue up to the time
they march through the gates of the
environments and report to the COM
mandants.
Explicit regulations under which
the first segment Of the national army
will be mobilized were issued by Pro-
vost Marshal General Crowder at
Washington. They came on the heels
Of series Of rulings cutting down
the physical requirements and urging
the boards to be circumspect to the
last degree In granting exemption on
account Of dependents.
In some districts as high as 80 per
cent Of the men called for eXamina
ton are filing claims for discharge on
the ground Of dependent relatives.
indication of Strikers.
The war department says this indi-
Gates that shirkers are taking unfair
advantage Of the regulations and that
it actually threatens to interfere seri-
ously with the raising Of the national
army. General Crowder's latest direc-
tion to boards is:
Reduce discharges for dependency
to q far more restricted class and
clearly defined circumstances"
General Crowder's message, which
was telegraphed the governors of all
states for distribution to local boards,
says all registered men are imperiled
by the improper claims that have been
filed. 1t puts it emphatically up to
the local boards to serve as barrier
and to choke off all false and exagger-
ated claims.
The new regulations grant an un-
derweight allowance of from five to six
pounds for men between sixty-four and
siXty-seven inches in height, seven to
nine pounds between sixty-seven and
sixty-nine inches, nine to ten pounds
between seventy and seventy-four
inches, and twelve pounds above sew
nty-five inches. The effect of the in
structions is to reduce the normal
weight requirements for tall men.
Details of Program.
The details of the program for mobil-
izing the first 100000 men called to the
colors September / and forwarded to
their camps before September 5 are as
follows:
The actual call will go from the
provost marshal general to the state
adJutant general, stating the number
OF men to be supplied. Each local
board will be at once informed of how
many men 1t must furnish and the ad-
jutant general will fix the day for en-
training the men,
The local board at once will make
out the list Of men to ell the call from
the roll Of accepted men, and will fix
the place Of entrainment and time of
departure.
Orders to the men will be posted
and also sent by mail. The men will
be directed to report to the local board
at its headquarters not less than IL
hours nor more than "a hours before