The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1917-06-05

in the navy, Great Britain is
resources of man power. Neve
cious in its demands for cannt
chief OF staff, has demanded that he
be provided by July 1 with 500, 900
more men. and they will be forth
coming. The military authorities
have issued an invitation to men
from forty-one to fifty years old to
volunteer, and the results thus far
have been astonishingly good. Tens
OF thousands of men within these
age limits offered their services at
the beginning of the war. and were
Disguised when they were rejected.
Despite all that is heard and printed
about shirkers, 1t is Altogether prob
able that Britain still has as many
men who have thus far been rejected
despite their willingness to enlist as
it has men OF military age who man.
aged deliberately to evade service.
The combing out process Is now In full
swing. Conditions on which men may
be exempted from military service are
scription act and the regulations there
under provide for the exemption
OF men OF military age who can make
proper showing that their services
in civil life are so far indispensable that
to withdraw them for military service
would seriously interfere with business,
industry. or the production OF war sup
plies. Nearly everything except shop
keeping is now listed in some fashion
an an essential industry and more or
less undet government domination. Even
employees in shops and offices are per-
mitted TO make the showing Of their in
dispensability and thus obtain exemp-
ton.
Appear Before Tribunals.
The determination as to Justification
for exemption is left in the hands Of
the local tribunal When the military
authorities find a man who looks to
them like the making of a soldier he
is summoned before the tribunal. and,
after a fashion, is tried. He may be
represented by counsel. and the war
office always is. Employers very often
appear, protesting against the draft
ing OF men whom they consider neces-
sary to the business.
In the earlier stages the tribunals
were wont to be pretty lenient; al
most any sort OF a case for exemption
IL strongly enough urged was accept
ed There have been more than a few
instances in which dubious influences
had been alleged. and even distinct
charges of bribery, usually involving
accusations against the recruiting offi-
GERS Latterly the tribunals have been
nightly cynical and stony hearted
toward would-be exemptees.
Every week makes II harder for q
man under forty to give a good &C.
count OF himself ex khaki. When Il
gets noised about a neIghborhood that
a particular young man has been be-
fore the tribunal and secured an ex-
emption, either temporary or per-
manent. the measure of his essential
ness to his civilian industry pretty
promptly becomes also the measure
of his non-essentialness to the young
women OF that locality. That partic-
ular young man suddenly discovers
that bright eyes are averted as he
passes, and skirts fiirt contemptuous-
ly in the other direction. The girls
whose brothers are at the front or
in the training camps or in the hos
pitalE either at home or
in France, or sleeping the last sleep
unoer the white crosses IN France,
don't care much for the shirkers.
/ asked a young woman how the
girls OF her set treated the eIemptees.
Il don't know any exemptees," she
replied acidly.
Literally or socIallyr" 1 persisted. |
Both" was the reply. 'I used to
know some men who are now shirk-
ers; whenever one OF them happens
my way I do what can in my feeble
fashion to make him understand that
/ am sorry ever knew him. He is
apt not to happen in my vicinity
again"
Many Quakers Now.
The conscientious directors have
about the hardest time. Nobody ever
suspected there were SO many Quak-
ers in this country as have turned up
in the last three years. Everybody |
has the utmost respect for Quakers
Of established standing and known !
sincerity. But the Quaker for ex- 4
emption only has a hard row to hoe;
literally, not figuratively For they
have q pleasant way OF permitting the |
&C. o." to be exempted from military |
service to be conscripted for only the |
most disagreeable sorts of civil oc-
cupation. Batches or them are kept
in camps under a loose sort of espIon- |
age and worked in gangs at agricul-
ture, breaking rock, building roads |
and similar light tasks. II the boss
of one OF these gangs falls under the !
suspicion OF being lenI-nt, II the
hours are not amply long and the |
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