The Republican journal., 1917-05-24
THE DRAFT.

The county boards for registration have
been appointed by Gov. Milliken. Sheriff
F. A. Cushman, Clerk of Courts George
|. Heating and DR.. o. S. Vickery have
been named for Waldo county. The rule
of appointing the sheriff, the clerk of
courts and physician in every county
has been followed We give below some
requirements which should be observed
by all who are subject to the draft.
Registration Compulsory.
Registration day will probably be de-
clared special holiday by Governor Mil
liken in order that every facility may be
given for registration. The places ordi-
narily used for voting on election day will
be used by the registration officers, and,
unless special arrangements are made for
registration elsewhere, men will register
in the ward rooms where they ordinarily
cast their ballots on election day.
+ Every man must register if he has al
ready reached the age of twenty -one
years or will reach that age during the
year 1917, and if he had not yet passed
his thirty-first birthday. He must do
this even if he is not citizen; even if he
ents upon him for support; even if he is a
cripple. He must register no matter how
important a public office he happens to
hold or what sort of work he is doing. If
he is sick arrangements will be made to
have competent person take his regis
tration. If he is in Jail or State prison,
the authorities will register him. If he is
a student in school, he will be given an
opportunity to fill up his registration card,
and mail it to his home town. No man
between twenty-one and thirty years of
age is exempt from registration though
undoubtedly many will be later exempted
from military service. The penalty for
not registering either through neglect or
refusal, is term in Jail and that applies
to the rich as we'll as the poor. No man
will escape because he has money to paya
fine.
Claims For Exemption.
After the other questions have been
answered the clerk in charge of the regis
tration will ask each man if he wishes to
claim exemption from military service.
The Registrar must enter upon the card
the reasons man gives for thinking he
ought not to serve. On the reasons given
at that time will be based the procedure
later, when the claim is investigated
Some persons will be exempt because of
the kind of work they are doing, some
because they have children or other de-
pendents whom they must feed and
clothe, and some because they are al
ready in the military or naval service.
While the class from which soldiers
are to come is to be segregated by draft,
the law is careful to provide for avoiding
the misery that war brings to dependents
at home and for choice Of those whose
military service the Nation most needs
and whose civil and domestic service can
be best spared.
The Draft.
After every man between the prescrib-
ed ages has been registered; after the
physically unfit have been eliminated and
the others who are needed more at home
have been excused, then the boards con-
sisting of the sheriff, clerk of courts and
physician in each county, will attend to
the duty of drawing by lot, the names OF
enough men to fill Names quota in the
great army. The Boards will also draw
the names of set of alternates, who may
be called when man selected first is re-
jected for any reason.
Reports recently received from Wash
ington indicate that the selective draft
law will follow these outlines, that it will
be enacted and receive the approval of
President Wilson very shortly, and that
the day for registration is not far away