New Britain herald., 1917-08-04
Drastic Steps to Be Taken By Government to Sup- press Uprisings in South and West.
OKLAHOMA SEAT OF
 GREATEST TROUBLE
Posses Begin Search for Roamin. Bands Who Abandoned Crops and Fled to Wildelness-ShclifTs Hot on With Case of Ammunition-Rail- road Bridge Burned.

Washington, Aug. 4.-PersonS re- sisting the draft law, department of justice officials announced today, in Oklahoma or elsewhere will be sought out, run down, and brought before the proper authorities, no mat ter at what cost
 Provost Marshal General Crowder and Assistant Attorney General Fitts, in charge of the enforcement of tho draft law, conferred at length today as to steps to be taken to check anti draft agitators in North Carolina, Georgia, Oklahoma and other local ities.
 The war department is in close touch with the situation and is pre- pared to take drastic and effective steps, if necessary in the affected dis tricts, Secretary Baker or General Crowder probably will issue senti ment later today outlining the de partment's position.
 Just what steps will be taken to bring to the justice the men who are spreading sentiment in the south and not announced. MT. Fitts in the ab- sence of Attorney General Gregory, issued this statement:
 "Whether in Oklahoma, or any, where else, if persons who are regu- larly selected for military service under the selective law fail to obey when properly notified and called, they will be reached and overtaken by the strong arm of the federal law and brought before the proper reg istration boards"
 Mrs. Fitts' first information of the anti-draft movement in Oklahoma was obtained today from the news papers. While department agents and field investigators have been looking into the situation there for some time past, it was said there re- ports had not been brought to his at tcntion this forenoon. The situation so far as he knew then was no diff ference in Oklahoma than in other sections of the country where sporadic demonstrations against the law have occurred. Officials were inclined to minimize the seriousness of the sit nation, based on unofficial reports, in Oklaho
 Field investigators, however, some time ago reported to the department that trouble might be found in en- forcing the law in certain sections of Oklahoma.
 Posses Seek Malcon Tents.
 Oklahoma City, Aug. At dawr today an organized effort to search ou In the rough and timbered sections o their countries the various bands O. armed objectors openly defying th' draft was begun by four sheriffs ant posses of hundreds of men. The mum erical strength of the resistants ha not been revealed, but 1t is known tha the disorder has spread througl Hughes, Seminole. Pottawatomle, ant Pontotoc counties and that one ban' numbers at least eighty men. on' other is reported to contain 400.
 The objectors apparently made thei first appearance in force in Sem1nOl, county where, for several days, or Eanizeu resistance to the draft ha been reuorteu Tenant farmers, In dians and negroes are said to compos the organizations which already hay partially destroyed two railroa' bridges, abandoned their crops an' severed communications from variou towns outside which they gathered
 Predominant among the oh1ector gre said to he members of the work ing classes union having a member ship of 800 with a few members o