Meade County news., 1917-06-21
HUNTING KANSAS SLACKERS
Grand Roundup Of Those Who Failed
to Register on June Has
Begun.


The grand roundup Of slackers start
ed in Kansas. Instructions went out
to the sheriffs and other law-enforce-
ment officers recently. The substance
Of the order was:
Investigate every suspected case.
Demand that suspects show their reg
istration certificates. In case of doubt
as to ages compel them to produce au-
thentic records to prove age. If proof
of age or other reasons are unsatis-
factory, gather up all the facts and
send them to the United States dis
trict attorney and await further or
ders."
That mighty few slaciers will be
found IN the state is the belief of all
officials, state and federal, who have
had anything to do with the registra-
tion work. That a few have slipped
by, there can be no doubt. But they
will soon be brought into camp.
The greatest difficulty experienced
by the officers was in registering the
Mexicans. Very fnw Of that national
ity were registered, Notwithstanding
the fact that there are ifany of them
in the state, Nearly all the railroads
are using Mexican. labor on their
tracks. Mexican colonies are numer..
GUS along the main lines of the big
roads. But when II came to signing
up, most Of them said they were either
too young or too old to register. 1t
is remarkable how few Mexicans
there are between the ages of 2t and
30. None of them is a citizen of this
country and could not go to war. But.
they do not understand the matter. 1t
is now up to the authorities, through
the use Of interpreters, to explain the
matter to them. 1t is believed they
will come through and register when
they find that they don't have to go
to the trenches.
The war department has been very
lenient with slackers up to date. 1t
preferred to give them the benefit of
the doubt and take 1t for granted that
they found 1t impossible to register
But beginning now the department will
assume different attitude and handle
slackers without gloves.
X X y
Wind Destroys Church.-A store, a
church and two residences at Clinton,
twelve miles west Of Lawrence, were
destroyed by storm recently. Wires
are down and communication with
Clinton and surrounding territory is
cut off.
X X X
Suicide as Sons Registered.-Wor-
ried over the registering of his two
sons who were needed to help on the
farm, Henry F. Roehrman, a German
farmer, living near Hope, killed him
self Tuesday. He leaves a wife and
five children.
Registered, Then He Knocked.-Al-
onzo Carpenter, after he registered at
Caldwell, spent the remainder OF the
afternoon cursing President Wilson
and condemning the draft plan He
was arrested and taken to Wellington
to be held for federal officers.
X x
College claes Buys Bends.-The Sc
nior class Of the Kansas State Agri-
cultural College has appropriated $500
for Liberty Loan bonds. This action
was taken at recent meeting Of the
class When the bonds are sold the
principal and interest win be used to
purchase class memorial.
4 Il
Newspaper Man Dead.-Thomas C.
60 years old, veteran
man of Wellington, Win
field and Caldwell, is dead in Portland,
Ore, where he was the towns adver-
tising agent twelve years.
4 X X
Kansas Boy Dies in Navy.--Word
has been received in Wellington of the
death, from pneumonia, at the naval
hospital at Portsmouth. N. H., Of Yer
non Brown, son Of Mr.. and Mrs. r. 2.
Brown of Oxford He recently was a
student at the Sumner county high
school.
~ fH
To Raise College Fund.--A cam.
paign to raise 2 million dollars for
Fairmount College has been opened
in Wichita. There are several larg
pledges recorded already, II the de.
sired amount can be obtained.