The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1917-06-08
Naffon's First Military Census
CompIefed-No Serious Dis.
flrbance, Such as Some Had
Feared and Others Had Hoped
For-FuII Enrolment Appears
Assured.

Assured.
Washington, June 5.-More than
100000 young Americans enrolled
themselves today for war service.
Registration day, with but a few
weeks of preparation saw the first
military census ever taken in the
United States completed without a
single untoward event of consequence.
The manhood of the nation obeyed
the presidents call and volunteered
in mass, setting at naught all the
schemes and plottings of German
sympathizers and the few cranks who
have agitated against registration. It
remains but to select the men who
are to go to the front
From virtually every State reassur-
ing messages came tonight to Brig
Gen .Crowder, provost marshal gen.
eral, federal supervising officer of the
great enterprise.
While no complete returns from
any State were transmitted the gov
ernors were unanimous in reporting
that complete order had prevailed
throughout the day and that a full
registration is indicated.
Kept Open Late.
In some precincts the late corners
forced officials to keep the polls open
until long after the 9 p. m. closing
hour set in the regulations. Gen.
Crowder authorized them to keep
open as long as men wished to enroll
themselves.
The early reports showing a full
turnout all over the country indicat-
de that the estimates of the census
bureau as to the number of men with
in the specified age limits would be
verified by the count. Wherever par
tial figures were available the esti-
mates checked closely.
typical message rec4ived was
that from Idahos sS 49, ss-''
& "a MI 81 400 o. Sent.p
It said. eSpontaneous and - fhout
murmur or Incident"
The situation was so clear and t..
response so ready throughout the
country that governors of 46 of the
AZ States had sent similar assurances
long before registration had closed
and the other two were close on their
heels.
A feature of the registration was
the refusal of hundreds of thousands
of men to make any reply to the
question: "Do you claim exemption 2"
Even men who reported that they had
dependent families, men with obvious
physical disabilities and those whose
occupations are certain to keep thefh
at home declined to make such a
claim. Apparently they have entered
fully into the very spirit of the law.
They are content to leave the oues-
tion of exemption to The exemption
boards. They have no. claims to
make; but are ready to do their share,
whatever it may be.
With the closing of each registra-
tion precinct officials went at once
to the task of sorting and classifying
the cards. There is much work to
be done in order that the brief syrop
sis which each governor will make to
Gen. Crowder of the registration of
his State may go forward promptly.
Gen. Crowder is hopeful that an
other 36 hours will see the full record
of the country on his desk.
Alaska and Hawaii will record their
lighting men on dates to be sent later
and the roll of Americans now abroad
who are besieging consulates all over
the world for resignation cards will
add to the great list.
Can Enlist Now.
Gen. Crowder made it clear that
registration acted as bar against no
man who wishes to enlist in the army
or navy.
Late tonight only four arrests had
been officially reported to the de-
partment of justice at Hamilton. Ohio,
Hartford, Conn.,, Richmond, Va, and
at a small place near st. Louis. De-
partment of justice officials had anti
cipated only local or sporadic dis
turbances and had predicted that the
men opposed to registration would
not resort to force anywhere but
they took every precaution to cone
with emergencies if their plans to
check all trouble in its incipiencv
should fail.
Every man in the field had strict
orders to arrest offenders promptly
and hale them before federal com
missioners. The success of their plans
and of the work Of the men in the
field and the splendid order that pre-
vailed generally surprised even the
expectations of the government Of
ficials.