The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-08-07
FIRST 100000 OF
ARMY IN CAMP
BY SEPTEMBER |
CrOWder Directs Aliens WaiV-
ing Exemption Be
Taken.

Washington, Aug. AT least 1907
900 of the 6S7, 900 men called go to
camp on Sept. Il. The rest will not do
SO until near Oct. 1.
This plan has been approved by
general officers of the army as the
only scheme that will fit present con-
ditions. Some cantonments will not
be completed for another month or
more. .
Meanwhile the first recruits, about
20 per cent of the entire draft, &C
cording to a ruling issued yesterday,
| will move to cantonment sites with
| their present accommodations and
| make them more habitable.
| Provost Marshal General Crowder
yesterday directed local draft boards
to accept for service in the National
| army all friendly aliens who waive
| their right of exemption on the
ground Of nationality.
| Such men are to be regarded, says
| Gen. Crowder, virtually asv olun-
teers.
In his telegram to the boards he
says the prevalent belief that such
aliens are disqualified is erroneous
and adds, in part:
1.-THE Selective Service Act provided
for their registrations, but it did not
regard them as being under any La
bility to serve, and it therefore gave
them full liberty to claim exemption
when called by local boards. Now
that information reveals their willing
ness in large numbers to decline tins
y exemption and to accept service in
this war against the common enemy
of our civilization, it should be fully
l Io~ hot fhnir
heartily welcomed.
"They are assisting the cause OF
their own country by aiding the
United States to triumph in this war.
The more of them that enter the SER
vice the better, for in this way will
be removed the cause of dissa tisfaction
| heard in some quarters, that although
the quota was based on total popula-
Etion, including aliens, the actual draft
reached only citizens and declarants
Provision was made to excuse from
immediate service men engaged III
farm or other industrial work de-
manding their Service and they will
answer the later camp calls. The rul-
ing warns locals boards against the
needlessness of using temporary. GER
tificates Of discharge on the grouno
of industrial. or agricultural necessity
1t provides especially for farmhands
who claim exemption until the end Of
the harvest.
. Such necessity reads the ruling
. may be imperative, but is only tenn
porary It's termination can hardly
continue beyond the third or fourth
5 week of September, even in the mos
northerly latitudes.
1.-THE Adjutant General will motif.
l each local board to summon, say, q
l per. cent. of its quota for a certain
, date, another percentage for a Later
t date, and SO. on. Each local board viii
select the individuals who shall form
the successive contingents thus. to bt
called.
THUS the temporary need to leave
those men at the crop work will bt
satisfied without complicating or da
. diminishing the quota accounts by car
rying those men as discharged tenn
porarily.'
There was some discussion as to TIL
D status of divorced men who are pay
t ling alimony. 1t has been suggested
that in some cases the former wive
of such men are solely dependent upol
l the alimony payments and the re
: lmoval of the men would work hard
ship upon them.
No specific request for a ruling ha
: been received but it is regarded a
probable that if the question is raised
the same rule that applies to all othe
discharges for dependents would fl
the case. It is not the purpose of tn
government to work hardship on an,
> dependent by taking away a bread
winner.
If the $25 a month which a soldie
: can spare from his salary will pro
vide adequately for his home respon
sibilities, however, he will not be re
leased from military service, so eac
case must be considered on it's merits