davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-06-05
UNDER WAY SLOWLY IN
EARLY HOURS THROUGHOUT CITY

Registration got under way slowly to-
day but within an hour the work was pro-
crossing at n steady gait sufficient. appar-
emily, TO bring IT to successful completion
without congestion.
Applicants were slow in arriving at poll
Ing places, and the registrars were slow
because they were unaccustomcd 10 the
work and afraid Of making mistakes
In Tenderloin divisions or the Fourteenth
Ward the time per man was from ten to nr-
teen minutes Registrars stopped work
often 10 refer labOriOusly to their printed
instructions I'm typical divisions Of the
rolled in the first hour. Young men were
accompanied to the polls by older men, who
filled the role Of Chapcroncs
First to register in the fourteenth divi-
sion Of the Thrty-scveuth Ward was
Joseph \. Greenwood chauffeur residing
at 1855 West Seltzer street. Greenwood is
thirty years old and married. But he did
not claim exemption because Of wedlock
Il should worry" he said as he left the
polling place on Somerset street below
Broad. "If the nation needs me I am
ready TO go"
The second man to register was J. Will
liam Shaw 1929 West Silver street Shaw
Is twenty-sX years old, and he did not
claim exemption. When the registration
place opened at Z o'clock nine were in limo.
II required an average OF twelve minutes
for each man to register.
The eleventh division Of the Thlrtv-
seventh Ward had registered fifteen men at
1850 o'clock this morning The rcgistra-
ton place in this division is located at
Twelfth and Somerset streets. At s O'Clock.
in the first division Of the Thrty-elghth
ward, twenty-ninc had registered, twenty
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-06-05
ELIGIBLE MEN IN COUNTY PRISONS
AND PENITENTIARY ARE REGISTERED

There is one class Of men in Philadelphia
today who are not required to come TO the
polling places to register. out who neverthe-
less Will be recorded on Uncle Sans roster
in regular form before nlghtfan These
are the men between the ages of twenty-one
and thirty-one who are at present incar-
cerated In the Eastern Penitentiary, in the
Philadelphia County prison. known as
Moyamensing or in the branch at Holmes
burg.
More than 1900 Of these men. who so far
as age is concerned are available for mill
tary service, are being listed and classified
on the registration blanks today Taken all
together there would be enough in the three
prisons TO form full regiment
The Federal authorities have not made
any ruling whether or not convicts will bo
called into service. even should their
sentences expire between today and the
date Of the first draft.
At the Eastern Penitentiary Warden
Robert ]. McKenty has been appointed
registrar by Governor BTumbaugh. To as
sst him in collecting the data necessary
the Warden delegated ten clerks and Of
.hcers as deputies
Promptly at z o'clock this morning thew
began making the round OF the cells. There
are $50 prisoners between the axes of
twenty-one and thirty-one In the peni-
tenpnfy ana as 4 takes from scpen %
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-06-05
PUZZLING PROBLEMS PRESENT
TRIBULATIONS' AND TANGLES

Many questions. difficult for registrars TO
answer, came up during the military regis
tration today. After wrestling with numer-
Gus problems on which they could find no
light the registrars finally restortcd to the
plan of instructlng all douhters to registrar
ana then file claims for exemption later on
when there will be more time to give every
case individual attention.
me greatest amount Jf difficulty occur
red In the third district, which covers the
fllth ward, There are many Jewish and
fohsh immigrants from Russia in this sec
tlon. Many of them did not report 10 the
polling places, but went direct to the
registrars at the police station at Fourth
ana DE Lancey streets.
one young man reported that his name
IN Russia was ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS He con-
sldered this too difficult for the American
TO wrestlc with so he had adopted the
namc Friedman, owing to the fact that
ne considered himself freed by having come
to the United States The registrars ad-
Nlsed him to register under the name Fried
man since he is known here under that
name
Two cousins reported with the protest
that they are not yet twenty-one years old
under the Julian calendar under which
they were born in Russia. Under this
calendar they will not be twenty-one years
old until June 21, but under the laws OF
the United States and the modern calendar
they were twenty-one on May 25. They
were advised to register and protest later
one man reported that he was thirty-five
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-06-05

six in person and three (City Hall cm-
ploycs) by card.
Registration Of negroes in the Seventh
and Eighth Wards was accomplished
slowly and with considerable confusion.
Twelve to fifteen minutes was the aver
age time consumed in filling out one card
and its corresponding receipt.
In the Twcnty-eighth, Thirty-sccond,
Twcnty.ninth and Forty-scvcnth Wards, in
Broad and Poplar streets. the divisions
registered an average Of ten each in the
first hour, The 200 divisions thus account
ed for 1000 possible ConsCripts.
Light registration was reported in the
Tenth and Fourteenth Wards.
There was no trouble reported at any
OF the 225 registration divisions in West
Philadelphia during the first hour Of regis
tratiOn. The average number Of reEistTa-
tions during that period was ten at each
division. The average length of time taken
for each was estimated at three minutes.
Few men claimed exemption.
In South Philadelphia. the cCibles went
to the polling places early, and in the First,
Second. Third, Fourth. Fifth and Thirty
ninth Wards, which include the section east
Of Broad street and south Of Market more
than 80 per cent registered during the first
hour and a half.
There is a large foreign population in
these wards, and the authorities were on
their guard for possible trouble The reg
stration officials, however. reported no
trouble At all. The foreign.born eligibles
came to the polling places of their own
they said, and registered Most Of
the large industrial plants in South Phila-
dolphia gave their employees who were
eligible an hour or two off in order TO pCr.
NIT them TO register
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-06-05
SOCIALISTS REGISTER, BUT CLAIM
EXEMPTION FOR VARIOUS REASONS

The Socialists Of Philadelphia-every mau
Of them who is between the ages Of twenty
one and thirty-one-went to the polling
places today and registered.
They held a meeting behind closed doors
last night at Labor Lyceum Hall, on North
Sixth street, and decided TO obey the law"
as they put II today
Every Socialist who registered. however
claimed exemption. Most OF them gave as
their reason that they were conscientious
objectors and opposed to war" Others
claimed TO have weak hearts," and one
who registered In the thirteenth division Of
the Thirteenth Ward, the strongest So
cialist division In the city, claimed eXemp-
tion on the grounds that he is a vegetarian.
He explained to the registrars that he never
eats meat, and vents 20 keep from going
10 war because meat is the piece de re-
sistance" in the army menu.
The only Socialist registrar In the city
sat az the polling place In this division.
Whenever he saw one Of his fellow be-
levers standing outside of the barber shop,
A. the southwest corner of Sixth ana Par
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-06-05
WILLINGNESS TO FIGHT
SHOWN BY EXEMPTIONS

Willingness Of young men to fight for
the United States was brought out force
fully in today's registration.
Question No 12 on the registration
blanks, "Do you claim exemption" need
not be answered. according to a Government
ruling. Nevertheless, many registrants vol
UNFAIRLY replied to II. OF those who did
an overwhelming majority said NO" ac-
cording TO reports from throughout the city
In some instances replies were made because
registrars were ignorant OF the ruling maxi
ing answers unnecessary.
1T is an error for registrars to force men
to answer the question" Provost Marshal
General Crowder announced, but the error
is a natural one, because they may not
have been notified"
At Lehgh avenue and Emery street is
the polling place for the eleventh division
were registered there, including Poles, who
could not speak without an Interpreter. or
the first hfty-1ve men registered there only
one claimed exemption.
only citizens Of the United States are to
be drawn for the army. The attitude OF
hundreds Of aliens indicated, however, that
they would be willing to serve in the Amer
lean army If they were wanted.
In Bridesburg, only one man Of tho first
hfty-two registered at Kirkbride and Edge
mont streets asked for exemption. He has
wife and two children.
a thrty-year-od Pole, who has a wife
and three children, said, mo- I don't want
exemption. If they come for me I'll fight"
In West Philadelphia about 10 per cent
OF the men registered claimed exemption.
OF seventy names taken at random from
typical divisions Of the Twenty-thrd Ward,
nineteen were those Of men who want to be
exempted.
Few Of the young men in the section ly-
ing east of Sixth street, between Lehigh
avenue and Poplar street, claimed oxemp-
tion. In the Kensington district, tho pro.
portion was higher The proportion of
married registrants ran higher there than
in almost any other part of Philadelphia
OF the first thirty-five negroes registered
in Wards Seven and Eight where the race
lives in greatest numbers, none asked for
exemption. Many of the men were mar
ried.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-06-05

SIknt minutes to register each man a..
Ndrueh divided his assistants into snuado
ana assigned each to certain sections ~ tSs
virtually the only difference" Mr. NJ,
hehty said, between our method 80 w e
.S.erihs .,uls men and that used at the noIiin.
i, places is that we 90 to the men and aStsi5ss
'hS men must come to the REGISTRAR T"
Inc warden paid a tribute 10 tha -. l.,
the peqitentlary, declaring frankly thet ~
would De as willing to go into a bSttIa LIZ nc
regiment composed of the ayera oa nN. WIN
prisoners as he would with a rsgirs.o. ..
M Murawh from the average citizens in the
regular walks OF life. al the
Ihe men assisting the warden a, am
out the blanks are Clarence Krat1 "i.lhE IahEs
Gohnely Cortland Butler. James Jobnsnn Tonh
Jonn Mekenty. Rube MeKentv Thnsoh, Thn,S
Sonins' Joseph Wisenbaoh James 7 I.osr n.,ls
Walter Tees Loan and
superintendent Fred A. Cook. 4.
cnArse OF registering the prIsoners q, 81. IN
~ asiehs'hs e, B and at the Holmesburs hrs
OF the County Prison. There are annro'i a,eh
mately 800 men between the snecisaS n''l- oAl-
IN these two places, according to Mr. cool,o,s
IN order 10 have the work cor.nl...,
ssy s as possible the registration OF nr,sors ~
srs n both institutions WAS bern, ps,son- @
Hay afternoon ef the direction 81 ~ sSssr-
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-06-05
PATIENTS SHOW ZEAL,
IN REGISTERING FOR DRAFT

Many young men in hospitals, subject to
conscrlption, were registered In most cases
internes who had ben deputized, acted
as registrars, Patients seemed to enter
into the spirit Of the registration with the
same spirit as the young internes who sat
at their bcdsides with ink. pens and blanks
The Frankford Hospital was the first re-
ported as having been completed. Dr.
Charles j. Watson and DR.. l., ID. Englerth,
both internes registered ten young men
undergoing treatment there None Of the
ten claimed exemption
In each case the internes took the names
OF the patients as though they had never
seen them before and asked them each uucs-
tion. The only one considered at all serious
was one who underwent an operation for a
leg injury soon after he had completed the
registration.
The Federal Board of Registration at City
Hall this afternoon sent representatives to
all Of the hospitals In the city to register
patients who are able TO make reply to
queries.
In the central section of the city there
are 1875 bedridden patients in the following
hospitals: Hahnemann, jefferson, Roose-
Welt and Medico-ChrurgicaL Hahpemann
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-06-05
PACIFISTS SUSPECT ARMT|
RULE FOR REGISTERED|
Fear Prospective ConscriptS WIN
Be Subject to Courts
Martial

Socialists and pacifists in this city Al,
endeaVoring to obtain from the War n
partment ruling on the point of vhe,As,
or not persons who register TODAY will a.
tomatcally be transferred to the hrisSi,
tion of the military authorities or rema,
under control of civil officials until dranJ
INTO the army. They regard this polnt 4,
important in its bearing on their asitatE,
Tor the repeal of the conscription law.
Miss Fanny Witherspoon, head OF In
Bureau of Legal First Aid Of the America,
Union Against Militarsm. addressed an n
quiry on this point to Brigader Genera
Enoch II. Crowder, Judge Advocate Cen
eral, at Washington, and received the tot
lowing reply:
After registration the name of the psr.
son registered becomes liable to selection
by lot for military service Each per
son registered will he subject to examina.
ton in order to determine whether h,
should be exempted. excused, discharged
or taken by selection. In advance OF Ii,
publication of the Presidents procama.
tion concerning selection nothing mon
definite can be said.
The Following comment on this reply b.
DAY was made by Miss Witherspoon:
'As / feared General Crowder does nj
clear up most important point, and state
the Presidents proclamation concernng
selection, which will, naturally, not be mad
until after registration is completed. h
seems difficult to understand why the Gov.
erhment, entering upon the institution q
conScription, should not have consulted wild
It's legal advisers and come TO a positive
decision upon this vital point Genenl
!rowders telegram, to be sure is not clear
pu' II Is my opinion that the inference moa
easily made is that men, after Registering
VIII Immediately he under military law aui
subject to the dictates of court-maral
This opinion is shared by Roger r. Bald
WIN Associate Director of the Americas
Union Against Mlitarism.
The Inference 7 draw from General
Crowder's reply is that ten million men, "
as many as will register, will be under mfi
tary control after today and may he sub
Ject to severe punishment in attempting 70
exercise their constitutional right TO FREE
Eneech' public assembly and petitlonng hs
Government for redress of grievances"
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-06-05
SURPLUS OF REGISTRARS
IN SOME CITY DIVISIONS

Politics played pranks with registration
arrangements. In some divisions there were
as many as eight or nine, and I'm one case
ten. registration clerks. Some of them were
idle. Applicants did not come in fast
enough TO keep all OF them busy
The reason for the supernuity Of talent was
that every man who had applied for a posi-
tion as registrar for next August was
notified by the city Registration Board TO
work today. An excessive number Of men
had applied 10 be registrars in August be-
cause Of factonal ward fights Chief Clerk
Thomas, Of the registration board, said II
would have been impossible to dfferentiate
between contestants for places. Today, for
once, the outs were in" IL was pointed
out by observers.
In one division OF the Forty-sxth Ward
ten registrars were in attendance. Several
divisions had nine apiece
The Third Ward also was profusely dec
GRATED with registrars. There efforts are be-
ing made to oust Harry j. Trainer, ward
leader, and put Henry ]. Nolte. a Ware
leader, in his place. Both sides sent regis
trars 10 work, and there were Democrats
besides
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-06-05
60 900 REGISTER FOR. DRAFT
IN FIRST FIVE HOURS IN CITY

boards sitting in police stations, ordering
them TO get receipts from places where
there was a surplus and deliver them 10
other divisions.
Up TO o'clock $50 men from out Of town
had registered at the city Hall where Of
fees were maintained IN the Mayors re-
Ception room. only uonresidents were
registered there.
Hundreds Of registration cards from phil
adclphians at present out Of town were re-
ccivcd by n staff Of clerks in Room $50,
City Han
The Registration Board said that the ma
chinery was working smoothly and to its
satisfaction in all parts Of the city
The registration in the downtown wards
was twlye as heavy as was anticipated. and
the registrars were kept busy sending for
extra registration cards. The registration
iu the Second Division Of the Firth Ward
Is Elittering illustration of the way the
men Of selective age are complying with the
laws requirements. Here it was expected
that thirty men would register, but at noon
seventy-nve had registered and there were
more in sight
In the Second Ward 5000 cards were
given the registrars on Friday night, and at
noon today It was found necessary TO dis
tribute 1000 more. In almost every division
downtown, and the same is said ii be true
all over the city, the registrars were COM
PEELED to send to the police stations Tor ad-
ditlonal cards.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-06-05
NEW YORKERS RESPOND
AT RATE OF $1,000 AN
HOUR TO DUTY'S CALL

NEW YORK. June g.
without a semblance of confusion the
work or enrolling on the national honor roll
New York's 100000 young men between the
ages Of twenty-one and thirty-one got
under way today
Eight thousand registration officers were
on the job to handle the early morning
rush. The registration proceeded accord
ing TO early reports, at the average rate
Of $4,000 an hour.
Although no general holiday has been
decreed in New York, the holiday snirit
prevailed. Thousands of institutions and
factories granted half holidays to their
men.
Patriotism everywhere was at n high
ude' tlags made their appearance on
thousands OF homes, and virtually all of
the polling places were flying the stars
ana stripes. Patriotic exercises were held
in the principal city parks beginning ar
noon. ct
Although no serious trouble was eVroo,o,
10 follow the anti-conscription riotInV ia
the Bronx last night, no precaution u,as
lacking to meet every emergency Al evarv
registration place was stationed a mi
formed policeman and a uniformed mem
Der Of the Home Defense League re.
serves of regular patrolmen and defense
leaguers were in readiness at strategic
points while 10000 National Guardsmen
were mobilized in their armorles ready FOR
riot calls.
Shouting ito hell with the military" the
Bronx crowd Of 10000 last night battled FOR
several blocks with policemen, soldiers
sailors and marines. The meeting which
provoked the trouble was held under the
auspices Of the No-Conscription League. Of
which Emma Goldman ana Alexander Berk-
man are the leaders. During their meeting
they were careful not to advise their audi
ence not to register.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-06-05

years old, but wanted to register TO make
sure that he would not get into trouble and
also In order TO clear the point of his en-
trance into this country under borrowed
papers. lie said he used the papers Of a
man who would not be thrty-one years
old now and that he was registered at Ellis
Island under the name and at the age less
than thirty-one, lie was advised to regis
ter and, in case he is called, said he thought
nc would serve without protest, owing to
the fact that he wants to serve his adopted
land
There see INTO be hundreds of young men
around tho conscrptlon age who do not
Know whether they are over or under the
age owing to the fact that their parents
IN Russia were careless in keeping the dates
o ftheir birth. or because they are now
away from home and have forgotten or
never knew how old they we're They will
pc assisted, as far as possible, in establish
ing their ages, but in order to protect
them from prosecution they were advised
10 register All who are in doubt can take
their protests up with the board later
Many young men who came TO this conn
try IN 1907 declared their intention of he
coming citizens and in order to escape tbe
examinations, swore that they were under
twenty-one years of age. Many of them
are now actually past thirty-one wears of
age, out they have sworn differently. All
such cases have been advised TO register
ana II they care TO face possible prosecu-
tion Tor perjury, to protest later and Give
their evidence. e'e
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-06-05

."" l"enty patients, and cards were filled
III Ior All hut one of these, who is unron-
S'louS and at the point Of death. ,rbis
pa'lehl Is Chester Wagner, alias "Reddv"
NDrah' who was shot in the head i'm =,
saloon at Ninth and Spring Garden street
last night. In the jefferson HosnitaI tbora
arc thirty-eight patients, all Of whom were
ats'Stereu one OF the first to he registered
at Jefferson was DR., James w Keatb
known as Smiling Jim" Kealh. Doctor
heath during the last two years has had
both legs amputated, but he has LOST none
or ms grit and he smiled one of his rare
sunny smiles when the registrars entered
his ROOM '"'''eu
80 The only thing I'm sore about" be said
Is that | can't go 10 the front and do ms,
bIt' / went l guess | would have 10
crawl though. do hope however thai
the Government will find a little niche FOR
i, me somewhere. can do whole lot II
they give me a chance"
There are fifty bedrdden patients at the
Medico-Chirurgcal Hospital and all but
hVe were able to register. There are twelve
patients at the Roosevelt Hospital, and an
registered "
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-06-05

rlsh streets, where the registration officers
were conducting the enrolment. he went
outside and brought him in. The division
boasts Of l03 Socialist votes at the eIection
last year Only thirteen of these con'n
within the conscription age limit, howevar
and they were all registered before noon
There are about 400 Socialists IN The cJt,,
and approximately 400 OF these registered
today.
The registrar is Harry Titleman H..
sat with Herbert Jaspan, a newspaner r,a,,
who is the other registrar in the diyisio,,
Titieman explained the attitude OF the So
cialists In Philadelphia in the following
manner:
We held meeting behind closed doors
last night. and after a vote deolded that
since the registration law exists ana s,noe
there is no chance OF testing It's oonstit,,-
tionality, we would obey II. we instrrcts5
every Socialist who came within the regis
uation law 70 go to the polls today ana
register
we also decided that we would claim
exemption. We could not abandon our
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-06-05

Continued from Page One
Moyamenslng Prison, Holmesburg Prison,
the Philadelphia Hospital for the Insane,
Byberry Home and other institutions,
registration was started early. officials in
these places deputized clerks who enrolled
all males Of army draft age, I'm the same
manner followed throughout the State and
the nation.
Swarthmore made plans for making the
day n notable occasion. Tonight the COM
munity will dedicate an honor roll tablet
bearing the name Of every resident who has
already enlisted in the army or the navy,
and which will bear the names Of all who
later will be called
Registration board officials, I'm City Han,
were swamped with telephone calls from
registrars who had to get information
during the day.
SHORTAGE OF BLUE CARDS
Shortly after noon the board was put in
serious quandarv when frantic messages
from West Philadelphia told them that the
supply Of blue receipts cards in number OF
divisions had been exhausted. In the Twen-
ty-second and Forty-siXth Wards several
divisions We're entirely out of the receipts
Men of registration age were afraid TO 20
away without receipts, because of the possi-
bility Of having trouble with the police
II they tried to leave the city.
At Mayor Smiths order kilograms were
dispatched to the district registration