The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-06-19

ID
Washington Correspondence Of the
Boston Transcript: Administration
officials and leaders in congress are
behind President Wilson in his avow-
ed. determination to smother the
wave OF politics and partisanship
which has threatened to endanger the
benefits of the selective draft. The
reason these men of national promi
nence have declared against fayorit-
esm in the selection of the new ma
tional army Is because, in the very
face OF the presidents declaration, To-
cal politicians have persisted in advo-
eating the appointment Of their
friends to the exemption boards,
which will pass on the claims Of
young men who registered Tuesday.
June 5, and who will ask to be ex-
empted from military service. For
all of the fact that the scramble for
places on the boards has assumed
serious proportions, it. is firmly be-
lieved here that this new support now
being given the chief executive will
defeat the desires of the INSCRIPTIONS.
Perhaps the statement that the de-
partment OF justice has formulated
plans to prevent corruption from
creeping into the draft will have
SOLDERING effect in itself.
To Make 10000 Appointments.
1t is easily demonstrated that the
task of appointing the exemption
boards is anything but simple one,
and that exceptional care must be
exercised if the boards are to be nom
partisan. Four thousand boards hav-
ing 10000 mem bers must be appoint
ed. The president as well must desig-
nate a board of review for each fed
eral judicial district in the United
States, places which have been in
great demand, The time in which to
make the appointments is very limit
ed, for the boards must begin their
hearings early in July if the first ma
tional army of 625,000 men is to be as
sembled in September, as has been
planned. Mr.. Wilson, although au-
by the law to do so. cannot
make the selections personally. In
stead, he has had to delegate the
power to state officials, whose appoint
ments he will o. k. In case of the re-
view boards, he must rely on the ad-
vice of persons acquainted with local
affairs. 1t is to be hoped this advice
will be above suspicion.
Worse Than Postmaster scramhIes.
The administration should receive
hearty assistance throughout the
country as we'll as in Washington, but
apparently 1t does not. Otherwise.
officials here would not have felt it
their duty to say that self-centered
politicians were flooding the white
house with letters and telegrams. To
all appearances, the appointments are
being looked upon as political pliims
worth trying for, in many cases with
a view to machine work that might
make possible the setting Of political
grudges and the arrangement Of ques-
tons of patronage. Officials hope that
the discovery has been made in time
TO prevent looting of places on the
boards and insure selection for person
al consideration. A SOLDERING effect
may result from the contemplated an
to be made at the time
the boards are appointed, that each in
diyidual board must be ready to give
adequate reasons for it's action on
any individual case, or suffer the
Number of sIackers Is Small.
It is a question whether it will be
possible to appoint the boards this
week The next few days, however,
should witness numerous develop
nents. 1t is anticipated that by Sat
lrday at the latest returns from all !
states will have been received by Pro
7ost Marshal General Enoch H. |
-rowder, showing the number of men |
who registered week ago. Figures /
1T hand now indicate that the regis |
rations will be near the 100000 |
mark, but will not exceed the 10000:
100 figure, as indicated by the esti- |!
nate of the census bureau. Upwards |
If 200 arrests of slackers who did not
'eSister have been formally reported /
md steps will be taken to bring to
rial those who eyaded registration.
Grand juries already are in session.
Reports received by the war depart
nent indicate that 1000 men may be /
to trial in New York alone. +
IN the whole, however, the number Of
,yasions was exceptionally small as
S indicated by the fact that the de-
,artment of justice made arrange
nents prior to registration day to
leal with 100000 persons.
Pacifists Want to Be Exempted
Now that registration is a matter
# history, the country may expect
lood of requests for exemptions
ONE wholly valid, some otherwise I,
t may prove to be difficult task to
vinnow the chaff from the wheat In
many cases TIE duty Of the boards will
e self-eyident, sometimes to grant re- Il
uests, sometimes to refuse to make
xemptions. Certain opponents of 4
'ar, for example, advising their asso-
iates to obey the law and register as I.
equired by the statute, have now sug- I
ested that the opportunity for ex- ]
mption be availed of on "conscien- j
Gus" grounds that are legally admit
ed to be founded on religious convfc- {,
ons which, however, must be so tang ]
lie as to include membership in a faith ;
lat prohibits warfare and that more |
=