Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-06-07

few slackers to be dealt with. Already
the machinery of the government is mov-
ing to bring these few to a reckoning.
The chief factor in bringing them to
book, however. will not be legal processes.
General Crowder and the forces of the
department of justice place full reliance
in the people themselves In bringing for
ward these shirkers. No plan that would
serve that end will be overlooked. No
man skuking in temporary safety be-
cause he is a stranger in his community.
or because his age is not known will
escape If the processes of law can bring
him to an accounting. But it is upon
the Indignation of men and women whose
sons or other kin have faced the issue
with courage, and cheerfully recorded
their names that the government chiefly
depends to bring sackers into the open.
AS the registration figures came in to-
night. the work of preparing for the
next great step proceeded without inter-
ruption. Already the regulations which
will govern exemptions are virtually COM
plete. 1t is probable that few days will
see them duly promulgated by President
Wilson and the work of assembling the
boards in each community under way
The personal honor of the President of
Secretary Baker and of every member of
Congress who voted for the bill stands
pledged to the statement that even
handed justice and fairness to all men,
high or low, white or black. will govern
in the great task.
! Much must be done before the names
of those who will compose the armies
/ can be enrolled. Millions Of registra-
tion cards must be examined and
classified. Those who are wholly un-
fitted physically for a soldiers grim
business must be eliminated: the
quotas Of the States must he assigned {:
| the machinery for distributing this
quota equally through every remote
county or precinct Of each state must
| be perfected.
The local exemption boards will al
most equal in number the reGistra-
ton precincts. Assurance has been
given that mans own neighbors will
be the judges to pass upon his case.
There were more than 125,000 precincts
and equal decentralization will char
acterize the exemption machinery.
| President Wilson. upon who the
law imposes the duty Of selecting and
appointing all these boards. probably
| will delegate this authority to the
state officials. Their loyal and en-
thusiastic response, exemplificd in the
registration. is certain.
Then comes the appointment of the
boards of review, to which each man,
who may be chosen by his local board
for army duty. may carry his case il he
feels himself wronged. These broadly
speaking, will be created for each federal
judicial district and the President may
appoint them himself.
There is no statement yet available AS
to the process by which men will be
drawn to appear before the exemption
boards. Secretary Baker has stated that
something in the nature of a jury wheel
might be employed but beyond that no
information has been given out.
Reports to-day from all parts Of the
country bore out the indications Of last
night that the great enterprise has beer
carried throughout without objection OF
opposition from sufficient number OF
citizens to be worthy of mention. Regis.
tration was completed virtually without
disorder; certainly with only small
part of the disturbances that usually
! characterize a national election.