Norwich bulletin., 1917-06-23


 tody all persons who refuse to registe- and immediately report in writing all facts in connection with such arrests. Federal warrants will be immediately issued in such cases.
 Mir. speIiacy's Statement. MT. spellacy's statement follows: Reports made to me by various clerks of the registration boards throughout the state indicate a mis- comprehension of the registration law. Its primary object is to require the registration Of all male persons be- tween the ages Of 21 and 31 years. In many instances, clerks have reported to my office the names of persons who | failed to register, without furnishing any other information. It is the duty in all cases to consult their local po- lice, officers, and to ask these officers to render such assistance in the exc cution of the law as may be required.
 "On account of. this misconceptfon. the time for voluntary registration will be extended until and including We'd nesday, June z7, 1917. Clerks or regis tration boards are consequently re- quested to receive all applications for registration and to register persons who will apply before this date. They .shouid further have their local officers seek out those persons liable for reg istration who have not registered and endeavor to get them to register Tn
  sons to register; after being requested. the clerks or registra ton boards should immediately cause such person to be arrested and report this fact to me Upon the receipt of such report. a warrant for the arrest of such persons will be issued. and there will be no leniency shown in cases or this char acter
 'Tn other words. 1t is my desire to extend to all persons who have failed to registtr an opportunity to register: to have the local officials cal to their attention the requirements of the law. After this opportunity has been ex- tended and refused, failure to register becomes wilfu1 and. will be vigilently prosecuted.
 Para graph Is of the registration regulations prescribed by the president makes it the duty of police officers to see that all male persons between the designated ages have registered. Any police officer who refuses to comp.y with the request of the local registra- tion boards to assist in every way in seeking out those who have not regis tered thereby becomes guilty of an in fraction of the registration law, and is himself liable to arrest and prosecu- tion.
 The registra tions now received by the various boards will be in accord ance with para Era ph 40 of the regis tration regulations.
 "I would like to in1press unon the clerks of the various boards the cessity for promptly reporting cases of wilful vio- ations of the registration law. The department of justice has requested that all arrests shall be made by June 30. 1917. Consequently I would request prompt report from the various clerks throughout the state of persons who have failed to coinply with the registration law. This report should contain the name of the person. his address. occupation and a brief note AS to what effort has been made to get him to register, what his claims for non registration are based upon. and proof Or evidence of his age and his residence"
 The Governors Statement.
 The following statement addressed to registration boards throughout Con- necticut was sent out by Governor Ho-comb
 The office of the United States dis trfct attorney and this office have re- ceived from various towns and cities lists of persons whose names appear in the military census but who have not registered under the selective con- scription law. These lists in this fern are of no assistance in securing the registration of those who have not voluntarily appeared, because it is inn possible for any central office to inquire into all cases.
 Your attention has before this been called to the provisions of section 40 of the registration regulations WnlCn make it the duty of your board to use every reasonable effort to find the persons who have failed to register voluntarily and to secure their regis tration or report their names for pros ecution: and also to the provisions of section 16 of those regulati which make it the duty of all police officers to give every assistance in the con- summation of the registration. These provisions are not empty words. but impose duties which, on the one hand, should appeal to your patriotism, and, on the other will subject any person failing in them to the penalties of the law. The neglect of any man to reg ister increases the burden upon those who do appear: every effort should who ought to register but who have not done so. Under the terms of the te.egram, copy of which is given in another communication enclosed here with, you may still take thS registra- tion of those persons who have failed before this to appear: but in case of a wilful and continued refusal to reg ister the fact should be at once report ed in writing to the United States dis trict attorney at Hartford, with such details as will make it possible for him to investigate the case and particular ly with all possible evidence bearing upon the age of the suspected person.
 CA compliance with this duty re- quires that your board should itself examine into every case where a fail ure to register is suspected. And the faithful performance of that duty by every registration board in the state is the only way to make the registra- | ton complete and accurate