The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1917-05-26

spondent OF the New York Evening
Pest. writing on subject 81 the
working OF the drast law, gave many
points LEANED from his interview
with secretary Baker which are Not
generally kinoNn. Owing TO the inter
est that Is being taken IN the matter
81 this tim, the article u herewith re-
produced. u follows.
How win CONSUMPTION actually
work n that question has been aske'i
out Ia the country many times over
the country ran rest assured that u
has been asked almost as many times
NJ the seat ~ the government here.
With the idea OF getting n general
view Of the way the CONSUMPTION bill
would work. I went 20 the war de-
partnlent and talked at length with
Secretary Baker and some ~ the Off
GERS Of the general staff of h army
l was particularly Interested in how
M farmer who were being urged on
the one hand to plant additional crops
could feel sure that they would have
help enough 60 handle these crops Il
suddenly the CONSUMPTION law were In
take awny their sons or somebody
else's IONS on whom they had depend
ed Tor the care Of their fields
And wha, Is true 81 agriculture II
just as much b ease with other in
dustries
The CONSUMPTION aw. Il was pointed
out TO me. viii take only y million
men. or ore out Of every twenty. on
rolled as 81 military 3 Yet 1t IL
obvious that no business ean be run
on chance taking. least Of all can the
problem Of labor for the farms be
uhls easily disposed Of. for until the
one man oui n that twenty IL picked,
every farmer will consider himself 20
tentially affected.
with reference to that phase 81 the
rrooienr z was INFORMED tina exten-
slve powers would be granted 10 the
local exemption boards, First " all
all men between Fl ana : would en-
roll Ton June -. Their names would
be placed in a Jury wheel and drawn,
30 many for each state according To-.
the percentage Of state population 20
the total needed
OF the men chosen a physical exam
ination a. well as answers 20 certain
questions. such a. employment. de-
service. Every business woui be
quircd. In some cases the exemption.
would he automatically made ny N.
local board. "a others exemptions
would hrve Ia he Applied for.
Secretary Baker believes that IL
would be a mistake 20 Announce that
All agricultural workers OF munitions
employees or mborers in other trades
were 20 be exempted from military
service. Eyerey business would DC
able o. prove in these DAYS 81 social
complexity that il was relntcd tn tn
national defense Few industries ave
not But the g%eneraiities in the COM
scription law permit he application 90
common sense rules. Common sense.
indeed. am Informed. and therefore
every man can determine after being
drafted exactly whether he Is 10 be
called 20 military service hy followiug
reasoning in the following ease citci
TO me by a hlah war department Off
ciai
"Suppose "a farmer has u bis acreage
and always har had one SON Ia assist
him, or really 10 help manage his busi-
ness. Now. the local exemption board
woul know hat ease thoroughly.
They would know that 80 take away
D. "a son would hurt the productiyene--
Of that farm, and thereby the nation
food supply. but suppose the ma
had two or three sons. and he ocaI
boardknew that the farmer could spar,
one or possibly two Of them and sill
turn over a big crop. Thar, there were
men above the military age who Were
available 20 take the o places. an.
that labor had been plentiful in that
Ntiil9ns II WOULD Wf NNNlff ~ Hfti'
exemptions la that ease. But IL might
be that labor was scarce aud that th'
farm could not be II the bo,
were taken away. The local boarc
would have power 90 make u eXemp,
tion deemed necessary 20 Keep th'
farms manned
But the war department isn't antioi-
pating amy difficulty. chiefly hecau''
the patriotism ct the American youtr
can be depended upon. What sol
would stay a. home or could, consist
ent with his self respect in the conn
muniiy. u b were generally know
that be could be spared What ron
would want the exemption unless ID.
local board insisted upon az And ~
most cases II probably viii be the ON
pioyers 81 farm labor who viii be IN
etrumentsl In procuring exemption