Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-06-11
KNOX PRAISES
HOME STATE
Pennsylvania Senator Says
Few, if Any, Slackers
Will Be Found

Washington. d. c., June IL
Pennsylvania response to the war
registration requirement was gener-
Gus and patriotic. 1t was calculated
to inspire a feeling of pride in every
citizen of the state" said Senator p.
c. Knox to-day.
Senator Knox takes a keen interest
in every movement for war prepa-
ration. He voted for the selective
service bill and has supported every
mesaure asked by the administration
for the prosecution of the war. Hav-
ing served as Secretary of State, he
appreciates the responsibility that
rests upon the executive branch of
the government, and is reday to give
the President and his Cabinet every
facility for successful conduct of
the campaign.
I'm Pittsburgh and in Allegheny
county," he said, "the registration
ran aheda of the estimates of the
War Department. and. no doubt it
will be found that this was true gen.
orally throughout the state. At the
instance of the War Department.
Governor Brumbaugh has allowed
four additional days in which men
| may enroll, so there will be no eX-
cuse for anyone not complying with
the law. 1t appeared necessary to
| allow this additional time, since there
was quite a number of men who were
rot informed of the requirements of
the law, despite the fact that every
effort was made to discriminate this
information, through newspapers and
official channels.
Few Slackers
when the final returns are in 1t
will be found there were few, If any,
slackers in Pennsylvania. This is in
dicatde by the fact that we have had
virtually none of the pre-registration
troubles that some other states have
had, in which anarchists and other
misguided persons have defied the
law of the land and have endeavored
to prevent young men from regis
tering. We have had no such COM
plications to embarrass us, showing
that the people generally were ready
and willing to obey the law. 1t is my
opinion that in most cases where
young men failed to register 1t will
be found 1t was due to ignorance and
misunderstanding rather than to a
desire to evade registration.
"A great many persons were con-
fused. II appears. as between regis
tration and draft. Some who knew
they were physically disqualified from
being drafted supposed 1t was not
necessary to register, whereas the
law required that every man of
twenty-one to thirty years, both in
elusive, must register, no matter If
he were armless and legless, or If he
came within the classes that are spe-
cifially exempted from service by the
/ law. All these questions will he
Straightened out in due time. ana
when they are. l feel confident that
the people of Pennsylvania will have
reason to feel proud of their state
and the showing she has made in
registering for war service.
THE ready response of Pennsyl-
vania in this question is especially
fattering, since 1t furnishes a COM
plete refutation of the charge that
we are so busy with our own affairs
and so engrossed in money making
that our patriotism has been dimmed.
There is no basis for such charge
and the registration of last Tuesday
shows 1t. Nearly a million young
men in our state have shown their
willingness to sacrifice the material
prosperity which they are experience
ing by reason of teh war to enter
the army at nominal pay. That is
real patriotism. 1t embodies the
spirit of sacrifice that is necessary to
win this war. It is a credit to the
state and to the nation"