The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1917-06-22
Complete plans to Draft Army

IF am called as a member of the
CONSUMPTION army, when will | have to
report?"
This is question that is being asked
by large majority of the 10000, 900
men who registered on Tuesday, June
5. AS yet it has not been officially
stated, and it may be a week or two be-
fore the officials complete the
plans It can be stated with practical
certainty, however, that the men who
are chosen will not be required to leave
their present positions before Aug. IS
or Sept. l, although in all probability
the process of selecting those who are
to serve will be completed before that
date.
The government will give the men
six weeks or two months to get their
business affairs in shape before answer
ing the call to arms and assist in bring
ing victorious peace to democracy.
The number of exemption boards will
be almost as numerous as were the
registration boards. The government
has pledged itself that every man
| who registered will be afforded absolute
fairness and justice if he cares TO enter
plea for exemption. The district ex-
emption boards. which will be made up
of neighbors of the applicants, are not
the final authority. Boards of review
will sit in each federal court district to
| hear and Judge the cases of those who
believe that they have not been justly
used by the local exemption boards.
Another task rests upon the should
ers of the country in general-the
| tracking down of the slackers who have
| lodged registration. The government
will depend largely upon the people for
| information. 1t believes that men and
the relatives of men who have faced
the issue with courage will be only to
eager to report the others.
The principal began to work out of
its own accord in New York city Aus
thorities there received scores of letters
and telephone calls from neighbors of
'auitters All of these cases will be
investigated and in addition house to
house canvass has been begun by fed
eral agents and police.
Arrests for evading the draft have so
far been few and scattered Except
for the Ute and Navajo Indians and a
Russian colony in Arizona, there has
been no organized attempt to resist
registration. In the above cases the
hostility seems to have been born of
| ignorance.
The regulations, when finally draft
ed, will be carefully examined by Pres
| ident Wilson himself and will not be
promulgated until he has approved
them in detail The general principles
which will govern them follow:
First.-The individual will not be re-
quired to make plea for exemption il
his name is drawn in the drafting pro.
cess. If an employer considers that
the services of an employee are indis
pensable to the successful conduct 0.
his business he will be given an oppor
tunity to say so under oath. But the
point of view will not be the advantage
or disadvantage to private business, but
to the government and the national de
Tense. Enterprises in nc way related
to the national defense and the wa
will find it more difficult to get thei
connected with the manufacture o
supplies or agriculture.
Second The local exemption board
will not be permitted to pass on indus
trial or agricultural exemptions, bu
upon the question Of dependent reIa
tives and whether the individual IS or
not an official Of the executive, legis
lative or judicial branches of the stat
or national governments, They will ex
anime for, serious PHYSICAL disabilities
but a second examination will be give
on entrance to the army itself.
/ Third. federal review boards
: about fifty in all, will travel throug
{ the several Judicial districts of tn
United States and hear and examir
applicants for exemptions The compC
y sition of the federal REVIEW board
: one of the most important things o
5 which the special committee in the pre-
E vost marshal's office is now working
> The hope is to select a leading enginet
or technical man, q leading busine:
k man and a lawyer and possibly a labo
5 representative, all to be men Of tn