Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-05-30

Warning that any efforts to discourage
registration would be promptly checked bv
the law was given today by Frederick ]
Shoyer, chairman of the United States
registration board. in charge of the work
in Philadelphia Registrars who will take
the names of the men in the 1896 polling
places Of the city June have been in
structed to proceed at once against anv
cases of refusal to answer questions. he
said
"I have been told that the pro-Gernan
influence is at work in the city to thwart
the registration as much as possible" said
Mr.. Shoyer, but can say that measures
have been prepared which will stop il
promptly The United States authorities
have put the whole force of the Govern
ment back of this registration, and for
those against whom this power must be
applied, 1t will be applied with dispatch.
"All the registrars have been told that
their acceptance of the service, June 5,
clothes them with full power. and that they
may command the service of the army the
navy, the state and city police, and anv
private citizen If necessary to help them in
their work.
MUST AID If CALLED
Furthermore, any citizen who is thus
called upon must assist the registrar as
directed, under penalties provided in the
act.
"The board is not aware of any large
plan to work against registration, though
we have heard of sporadic outcroppings of
sentiment against the law. If these ten
dencies develop far enough to cause any
trouble the Department of Justice and the
city police will act without delay. Reports
of dsaffection are coming mostly from
quarters in which there are large foreign
boe =
and the board favors it, that the clergy of
the city churches and particularly those
with foreign communicates eXlain the duty
which binds men from twenty-one to thirty
one to register June 3. This can be done
on Sunday with great effect
Hoping to protect Philadelphans from the
penalty they must pay If they are ignorant
of the rules laid down for registration day,
next Tuesday, registration officials today
made announcements explaining the work.
ing of the law.
Regarding Question IL on the registration
card-"Do you claim exemption from draft :?
Specify grounds"-it was said
The answer of Yes to this question does
not exempt one from draft. The answer of
NO is no bar to making claim for exemp-
tion later.
"All who desire exemption may claim il
before their respective exemption boards,
the answers made by them to Question 12"
Answers to Question No. IL are intended
10 supply the central office of the provost
marshal general with statistical data upon
which a rough estimate may be made of
the approXimte number of persons who will
claim exemption. At present there is no
other source from which this information
may be obtained.
In addition to the duty of registering
next Tuesday, Government officials called
on all men of draft age to make themselves
volunteer instruments for detecting per-
sons who fail TO present themselves Sum-
mary action will be taken with voators
turned up by these civilian secret service
men.
Police here will be instructed to demand
that men of draft age shall show their
registration receipts as an additional means
of finding slackers. A receipt will be
given to every man who registers before
he leaves the registration place.
Service on the exemption boards will not
be bed of roses, it was asserted by Mr..
Shoyer who said, "If each of these boards
gets through without suspicion the members
will be even above Caesars wife.