Semi-weekly herald., 1917-09-06
TODAY LAST DAY AT HOME
FOR FIRST QUOTA OF ARMY
(By George Martin.)

lby beOTSe MdFIln.l
Omitted Press Staff Correspondent }
WASHINGTON, d. c., Sept. A.
This is the last day at home for the
first 100000 of Americas drafted re-
cruits.
They are quitting their jobs, ar
ranging their personal affairs and
getting ready for the final goodbye
less than "a hours away, after which
they will be on their way to camp to
learn to shoot guns and plunge bayo-
nets in defense of their government.
They are all under orders to report
in person to the members of the local
exemption boards which chose them.
By early afternoon the entire 100000
will be mobilized at exemption board
headquarters from Maine to Califor-
MIA and from the Great Lake sto the
Gulf.
After being shown to government
lodgings or given permission to spend
tonight at home, the men will be at
liberty until $3.50 p. M, when they
will again be mobilized at headquar-
ters of the local boards for retreat
roll call.
At that time one member of each
group will be chosen by the local
boards to command the party on the
way to camp.
All local boards have strict orders
from the war department to watch
their men carefully and, in case any
of them fail to report, or reporting,
disappear afterward, institute instant
and vigorous search for them and turn
them over to the United States army
for trial and punishment as desert
ers.
thousands of mothers, sweethearts.
sisters, fathers and brothers accom-
panied the boys to local board head
quarters today. In many places ar
rangements had to be made to rope
off sufficient space around the board
headquarters to mobilize and take
account of the men.
An even greater mob Of relatives
and friends is expected tomorrow,
when the men say their final good
bys and are off to camp.
Precautions were taken by the gov
ernment to make sure that no drafted
man escapes military service in this
and following groups by starting to
camp with the others and disappear
ing on the way.
At each mobilization camp will be
kept a list Of the number of men
each board is to furnish. A copy of
the men actually sent will go with
the leader of each group and be check
ed up at the camp. And if for any
reason the number Of men Is not
right, or if any of them have abscond-
ed en- route, the local board respon-
sible for that group will have to find
the missing men and also Immediately
send others next on their lists to
take their places at camp.
"Only men actually reporting and
finally accepted for military service
at the mobilization camp" says the
official order, twill be credited to
the quota of any local board"
Altho passed and accepted by the
local boards, these 100000 men will
be subjected to final, rigid physical
examination by army surgeons at the
mobilization camps. None of them
will be finally accepted for service
until they have passed this examina-
ton.
1t is probable reflections will be
numerous at the mobilization camps
because the local and district boards
orders are that when they are in
doubt as to a mans fitness, he shall
be accepted as fit. Also there will
be number of men who did not re-
port for examination who were GER
titled into the military service Of
the nation by the local boards who
will not prove fit.
A number Of men equal to the num-
ber rejected by the army surgeons
will have to be supplied by the local