The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-07-21


: courts on the charge OF unconstf-
q 1Nttonality reached the DRAFT room
1te this evening.
No Official would comment on them,
b1yond recalling that similar threats
16oro made at the time of registration
%* An official investigation by the De.
4 paTtment Of justice may be orderea
u develops that rur11ors are wei
a founded. The prooe would seek hrs'
4 70 determine what Interests were put-
d tlnr up the money for the legal hght.
n The rumors were not taken seriously
~ General Crowder or any OF ms
s@Gidea. Secretary of War Baker re-
fused all comment.
The law was drafted by the war
y aepartment with the advice "i the
& department of justice and is neheFeu
70 be law-proof. ;.
Congressional leaders and war az
q DArtment officials who framed ana eve
I suited the selective consumption iaN
we're little concerned over the reports
II think every possible legal con
i tSnsency was cared for" said Chaff
man Dent, OF the house military Al
fairs committee.
Grind Out Names StcadilN.
throughout the hot hours OF the
day the machipery ground oHt nun.
i bers. each number man OF "t'",
F@ men. AlGnQuEH tue Vk'l'a N'
affected the drawing clerks ana .t"lN
clerks. necessitating frequent TehelS'
they kept up the grind at the Ia'e
i az about twelve capsules minute
Presentation stood out on faces ana
vofces grew husky with the constah.
calling of mum hers. but the Wofk went
ahead
Before noon there was ample eNi-
dence that the draft was not proceed
- Ill ID [sHnRTEl r
and other officials had anticipated.
suggestions were made that as many
numbers as possible he drawn ny
O'Clock and the others left over IoF
4 second drawing tomorrow
8 But General Crowder refused 70 Ms
ten. He declared that the work mus,
he finished If It lasted until after
dawn He doubled the fe"eiS' '"'
refused any further let-up
From the quiet assenlblage Of grave
officials which witnessed the dTaWlns
of the first number. the crowd w an.
great room alsp changed and @hNted
as the hours went on
Test of Amcricanism-
Hundreds ct little scenes showing
the strain OF The oocaS!o" tooh f,'1e
in the room and the corridors leading
TO II during the day. II was "A day
when Americanism underwent the test
and came through strong and eioFi-
ned All the little foIhles ana con-
c0its were lost in the hours Wn4e
men waited 10 learn whether theS
would he called upon Immediately 10
serve their country at the iFpnl out
there where the world Us graphing
4 N whether they would be held In re-
serve
One ef the men engaged in ara"
fnr funlbers--one OF the blndtoIdt"
youths engaged for the work p} Ten
eral <-rowder. drew his own ticker for
the front He heard the announcer
call IL but he did not even hesitate
The next number Was waiting Tor 'ht
second announcer when he pm OUT
his hand.
Free From Demonstrations.
And Il was like that throughout the
7fsv In tire evening after tire r1Tsr
0uc.a had been filed there was less
~ the ,enseness and more Of the
routine with the numbers Drawn
than. II was question posSlhY OIL
months before there would ne any
direct effect on the men II was as IA
q man was merely reading war ru-
rnors In the newspapers. The draw
-. vas ren,arkahly free from per
sonal demonstrations and from emo
ttor There were no tear-stalneh
r,o.hers pleading for their boys
there were no mock heoics ana no
trenlblings OF cowardiee
General S'rovder was the heart ana
nerves of the draft machine through
ont ALI the weary hours OF the ara
ing Cool in his khaki uniform III 'he
. bottest hours OF the day, calm "heh
81, was excitement around him h"
Guided hv advice and directed WIN
rrtxn words the men who were carry
Ing on the work .,...,.....
His assistants. the men actNeiN en-
cared in the drawing. kept ""rhins
in shorter and shorter refets as the
daY went on and grew into pl1hl anu
,thr night vtas ,stuffx ana homln. ana
the room heavy with swe'erihs nu.
mant,v The bad air affected mem
n.,aash,y After a "ffteen- minute
.htft ). thev would retire 10 their
,oor, in the back and threw them
selves ON cots which had been hrousht
IN for them in an effort 10 selhe Il
few moments rest - .
FOOD and cooling drinks were pro-
vided in profusion and towards even
ing General Crowder ny teiehhone
mobilized a feet OF au'omo'.'eS ~
hitch tho wearied tel|ers and an
nouncers might take short splns he-
III +-,aen tricks" in order 20 freshe7
fher,selves with clean air.
The stage was carefully set IN room
So senate ONCE building today II
ynteNt have been a scene in theatef.
/ hut there was nothing OF the theatrical
about it, although there was drama
the drama Of lives and fortunes in
balance.
II was the great lottery that news
raper correspondents have been writ
ing about
At one side OF the big room wer"
rows of chairs for the witnesses AZ
the end was a tremendous blackboard
B blocked off for 500 mum hers In front
\ az the blackboard was douole-length
table and in front Of that a smaller
table on which reposed a great glass
4 lar ..,.-.,.
The Jar had a top of thick manila
raper bound around II by five rounds
4 81 tough Irvine, with a seal on the
TfWfne In the bottom thousands or
n 9rayish- black capsules showed, There
q we're 10000 Of them and they piled mp
4 Tor more than four inches inside the
q bowl. a thick mass. stuck among them
d was a huge wooden spoon with red
II white and blue bunting tied 10 the
Il handle.
NJ That was the scene which greeted