Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1917-05-25
President Issues a Proclamation
Putting SeIeCtive Draft Into Effect
washngton-prestdent Wilson'S PROCLAMATION, putting into eli

washngton-Presden Wilson's proclamation, putting into effect the
seIectve draft provision of the war army bill, follows:
A Proclamation BY the President OF the United states.
Whereas, Congress has enacted and the president has on the lSth Gay
of May, thousand nine hundred seventeen approved d Id" "WOA
contains the following provisions:
Section shat all male persons between the ages of 81 and 80, both
inclusive, shall be subject to registration in accordance with regulations 70
be prescribed by the president; and upon proclamation by the president OF
public notice given by him or by his direction, stating the time and
place Of such registration, it shall be the duty of all persons of designated
ages, except officers and enlisted EN- of the regular army, the navy and
the national guard and naval militia while in the service OF the United States'
to present themselves for and submit to registration under the provisions
tns act; every SUE person nn DC oeemea " n'e nou'e VI se
requirements of this act upon the publication of said proclamation or other
notice as aforesaid given by the president, Or by his direction; and any per-
sons who shall whlfuly fah or refuse to present himself tr egSFauo
or to submit thereto as herein provided, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor
and shall, upon conviction in the district court of the United States having
jurisdiction thereof, be punished by Imprisonment for not more than one
year. and shall thereupon be duly registered.
Provided, That in the call of the docket precedence shall be given, in
the courts trying the same, to the trial of criminal proceedings under this act.
Provided, further, That persons shall be subject to registration as herein
have atased their tnTtyfnrt birthday On or before the day set fr
registration, and all persons s. registered shall be and remain subject to
draft into the forces hereby authorized; unless exempted or excused there
Provided, further, That in the case Of temporary absence from aetua,
herein, such registration may be made by mail under registrations to be pre-
Frauds Provided Against.
Section s-That the president is hereby authorized to utilize the service
States and Of the several states, territories and the District of Columbia;
agents ae V% the United tt%V States % an Of at the several Ve sI's States as Is9 so ess and suS-
or appointed under Registration prescribed by the s president whether such
oPpSs n on nSs , snt made o1 t by tas president te bss9srm himself s. s or BY y the he. s ssssnGon or If Gt tss
act a IRE hereby rel , II required s"d5 d+ to perform bd . such duty duty a as the president pre- Itns shall 9 order
peao"ao5 SHAH hal, he hereby sy s hay E.. 'o 11us authority 10 for . ali acts done BY them in the
Correspondence in - the execution Of If this is act t'm may be carried in penalty
ss' Ssrsin pfo1idsd w with ht the duty III ne Of ca SsRe' inte effect aPs any Sst of the e p1e1is'
ions Of the act OF the regulations made or directions given hereunder who
such duty, or having and md Exercising gam any auth authority dy under "S D said a t"~ regulations ssd ions
any false or scorrect registration, physical examination, exemption, enlist
to the making Of any T false statement a@H st or Certificate noS a as to pt the fitness IS a p 1I la,
at or :" regulations made mad eT by the is'' President nsHl mt th es ndsa ' or otherwise e e1a der
O %n aids is another !" !, tU syas ss, the f requirements or easast Of 9r this ia act tse or ts said sbl regulations sgt1 ttosse or
of him in the execution Of this act, shall, if not subject to military law, be
guilty of a misdemeanOr and mon conyicion IN the district iii ri the
N Sa, States It, 6 assin nav 5or as i; sa5, thereof REQ ;l Ss punished 3s@ H., By Inn tn9s %sS me Ssi for
marital and suffer such Ssa1snns%t ! :. : eoa5tna 1st %s7 direct e. ~ s'"'
ssarS upon pc eo te gGosrnor ot Of he each Sst Of the he d ssys%, states TIA 81 and nsn, territories tori s., the
Of of' the 81 5e Ss@%' saes and d t en- DTfsss' Of q the Ssd nstrc sn Of ' co G1nisss ad e of tss
f f%n ae an and ,d MUNICIPALITIES 1an t therein s to perform rin n certain duties in the ssecu-
fecty in regulations of wen date herewith SI y NA'"' " '"" -
June 5 To Be Registration Day.
And do further proclaim and give notice to all persons subject to regis
tnh'e the sn . iss sf lsw, t sstt tse a9 an in a sns P P1stde q, Of SUCH Gelq psRssra ,a ae' s5ss be
between : am. and . pm. o. the 5th day Of June, 1917 at the REGISTRATION ira on
sssS na a sr a. s' t SsSs;s' s ;s sa;' ; :sss ;sss ss' s!' '3s: 9s ANA sss ' 'ssS not s1 Ssss ". It
required tsair to" register Excepting na' only V4 offices sV aDG enlisted nil ey me ne' Of t tSe resu nas
while IN the service Of the United States, and officers in the officers reserve
f fe' tss ' ssd sa4s'st Of AZ. n ' Has snlls: sad T rostg R ss,p q s S9H for in 9. ss:'zs sssv rsi
b o named m In In a later proclamation 9h%a natl hr,n., so,no, .,u
themselves or REGISTRATION, that they apply n or before the day Of regis
they may be registered BY agents: Those who expect to be absent on the day
register by mail, but their mailed registration cards must reach the place in
a ~w%p s ~ o onV a. 'p pracPea aSnt to tho he~ county Dy 'e ceer Gy on named time 61pfH v Tses should tsd
may be for instructions as to how they may accomplish their registration
present en- ' sssn snR DeE 1sqssD asj through 3c2 gts sdSs9sss' , Or absence ss scsos may be +, unable oHsss to t.,
over 10000 population, they shall apply to the city clerk Of the city wherein
they may be sojourning rather than to the clerk of the county. The clerks OF
counties and Of cities Of ve 80 1000 population, in which numerous appnca-
tions from the sick and from nonresdents are expected, are authorized to
establish such subagences and to employ and deputze such clerical force a.
may be necessary to accommodate these applications.
The power against which We aea rrayed has sought to impose its will
upon the world by force. To this end 1t has increased armament until it has
changed the face Of al. In the ense Elm hGn we have been wont ito think Of
armies tEerea are no armies in this struggle. There ire entire nations armed.
Thus the men who remain to till the soil and man the factories are n less a
part of the army that is in France than the mn beneath the battle flags. II
must be so with u.s.. 1t is not an army that we must shape and train for war;
it is a nation.
To this end u people must draw close in one compact front against a
common foe. But this cannot be if each man pursues a private purpose. All
must pursue n purpose. Tie nation needs all men, but it needs each man,
not in the field that will most please him, but in the endeavor that will best
servet the common good. Thus, though a sharpshooter peases to operate a trip
hammer for the forging of great guns, and a n expert machtnist desires to
march, with tn flag. the nation Is being served only when the sharpshooter
marches and tn machnist remains at his levers. The whole nation must be
a team n which each man shall play the part for which he is best fitted. To
this end Congress las provided that the nation shall be organized for war by
selection, and that each man shall be classified for service in the place to
which 1t shall best servet the general good to call him.
The significance of this cannot be overstated. 1t is a new thing in mn
history an a landmark in u progress. 1t is a new manner of accepting
and vitahzing our duty to give ourselves with thoughtful devotion to the
common purpose of us all. 1t is in n sense a consTipion of the unwil
ing; it is rather selection from a nation which has volunteered in mass
1t is n o more a choosing of those who shall march with the colors than IL
is a selection Of those who shall serve a equally necessary and devoted
purpose in the industries that lie behind the battle line