Evening journal., 1917-05-19
TMAT sELECTIYE sERYICE PROCLAMATION.

ID RESIDENT WILSON has issued his proclamation
putting into effect the sclective draft provision OF
the Army bill
Under that proclamation all those who shall have
attained their tweny-hrst birthday and who shall not
have attained their thrty-hrst birthday before
June are required to register excepting only Off
and enlisted Of the regular army. the navy,
the marine corps and the National Guard and naval
militia while in the service Of the United States. and
officers in the officers and enlisted men
in the enlisted reserve corps while in active service
The President also has proclaimed that the regisra
ton places shall be open from a. to p m. He
has designated the machinery that shall be used 20
make the proclamation effective
'lhe power against which are arrayed has sought
to impose It's VIII upon the world by force" the Presi-
dent says ITO this end It has increased armament
until it has changed the face OF war In the sense in
which We have been wont to think OF armies there are
no armies in this struggle There entire nations
armed Thus the men who remain to till the soil and
man the factories are less part the army that
is France than the beneath the battle flags II
must be so with us II is not army that we must
shape and train for war, It is nation To this end
our people must draw close in one compact front
against common foe. But this cannot be II each man
pursues private purpose All must pursue one pur-
pose The nation needs all men, but il needs each man
not in the field that most pleasures him but in the
endeavor that VIII best the common good Thus
though a sharpshooter peases TO operate tripham-
mer for the forging Of great guns and an expert ma
ohinist desires TO march with the flag the nation Is
being served only when the sharpshooer marches and
the machinist remains at his levers The whole ma
ton must be team in which each man plays the part
FOR which he is best fitted To this end Congress pro-
vided that the nation shall be organized for war by
selection by which each shall be classified for ser
vice in the place to which shall best the gen
eral good to call him.
The signihcapce OF this cannot be overstated Il is
new thing IN history and a landmark in our
progress Il is of accepting and vtaliz-
ing our duty to give ourselves with thoughtful devo
ton to the common purpose Of all II is in no sense
conscripton Of the unwilling is rather, selection
from a nation which has volunteered in mass II is
no more choosing OF those who shall march with the
eolors than it is selection OF those who shall serv,
an equally necessary and devoted purpose in the in
dusires that lie behind the battle line"
That is plain. frank, sensible and forcefu state
ment II should make strong appeal to the patriotism
Of people and so far toward winning their heart,
Evaporation AS the President says II is "a new
thing in our history landmark in our progress an,
manner OF accepting and vitalizing our duty Il
give ourselves with thoughtful devotion TO the com
purpose OF ALL" The American people hav
asserted that they viii stand by the President TIL
proclamation and what viii follow it in June and late
viii supply that people ample opportunity to sho,
whether that assertion is TO be lived up to in goo
faith and for the welfare and safety Of country an
the world at large.