The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1917-08-06
DEATH THREAT
FOR SLACkERS
Warning Issued to Those Fight
ing the Draft.
CROWDER ISSUES STATEMENT
Registrants Who Refuse to Appear
When Called Face Treatment OF
This Week.

Observation-Disclosures lhiS W eeh'
Washington. Aug. 6.-Drastic meas
ures are being taken by the Govern
ment to put an end to draft riots and
disorders and effectively squelch reg
istrants who are offering resistance to
the work of organizing the new ma
tional army. Registrars who refuse
to appear before exemption boards
when called will be treated as de-
serters, hunted down by Federal
troops if necessary and be tried by
court-martiaI If found guilty they
may be sentenced to death.
in statement issued by Provost
Marshal General Crowder following
conferences among officials Of the de-
partment Of justice and the war de-
partment it was announced that 1t
had been definitely decided to send
federal troops into any state IN the
Union, not only to seek out regis
trants who fail to appear when called,
but to quell any disturbance or forci-
BILE resistance that may occur.
The action of the federal authorl-
ties followed swiftly on reports from
Oklahoma and other states of draft
riots and disorders, including the
burning of one bridge by reglstrants.
General Crowder also announced
that. in order to reduce the number
of those claiming exemption, the
names of ali those who ask and re-
ceive exemption would be published:
with the reason for the exemption.
The order for the mobilization Of
the draft army will be given during
the present month. General Crowder
also announced When this order has
been issued all drafted men who fail
to respond and go to the mobilization
camps will be sought out and court
martialed, and to aid in this work
the authorities of the various states
will be enlisted. Even any civil Off
Ger who arrests such a deserter Will
be paid reward of $50. From the
decision of such court martial the
only appeal is to the President.
Orders also have been sent to local
exemption boards urging them to sup
ply to the newspapers every day the
names of all persons claiming eXemp-
ton or discharge and the grounds
upon which they claim it.
General Crowder's statement says:
'Press reports and other advices
received indicate that in one OF two
widely separated districts, individuals,
misinformed as to the purpose Of the
law and misguided as to its result.
are threatening forcible resistance to
the draft.
"There is nothing to resist at this
'TfiarS PERSONS --5Trv eel CnE ages OF
twenty-one and thirty, inclusive, have
been enrolled for military service. A
preliminary call has gone forth to
persons, but the immediate and actual
object of this call is merely to provide
an opportunity for such persons, or
for some one else in respect to them,
to present to the Government reasons
why they should not be finally Or
dered to report for military duty.
''If such persons do not appear and
present these reasons, they have SIM
ply neglected to take advantage of an
opportunity that was offered solely
for their benefit. The failure Of per-
sons to take advantage of this oppor-
tunity does not interfere with the
raising of the army and interests the
Government only as punishable crime
of omission. If they do not desire
to make such claims or if for any
other reason they fail to appear, their
names are automatically posted as
having been called and not exempted
or discharged. Automatically also
they are indicted into the military
service and made subject to military
law. Failure to appear merely hast
ems this automatic process.
when the time allowed for max
ing these claims has elapsed, these
persons will be enrolled as in the mill
tary service. They will then be or
dered to appear as soldiers. From
this point on they will be under the
swift and summary procedure of
courts-martiai. Failure to report for
'CbN "ilCIl W no So
constitutes desertion. Desertion in
time of war is a capital offenSe De-
serters may be apprehended by either
civil or military authority and. after
the mandate Of the Federal Govern
ment has gone forth, the whole
strength of the military arm of the
Government is available to apprehend
deserters, if 1t is necessary 70 use
such force.
demonstrations against local
boards are simply futile strokes in
the air All the records necessary
to hold such persons are already on
file at State headquarters and at the
national camp, and since local boards
have no occasion to use any force in
simply offering a beneficial emporium
ity to registered persons, there is no
field for resistance If resistance is
attempted later when the army seeks
to apprehend deserters, it will in
stantly encounter troops of the Fed
eral Government"
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