The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1917-06-02
UNION AGAINST
M|LfTAR|SM URGES
ALL TO REGISTER
r.. II 0IG
Conscientious Directors Advised
to Register and Declare Grounds
For Exemption.

WASHINGTON, May S1.-Wha,
shall the conscientious objector" do?
Shall he register and make his pro-
test afterwards against being drafted?
Or shall hc refuse to register?
AS the leading organization in the
fight against CONSUMPTION, the Ameri-
can Union Against Militarism has been
asked this question several thousand
times. Aft : consulting with able le-
gal counsel and going over the ques-
ton carefully from the ethical point
OF view, majority of the executive
committee of the American Union
Against Miltarism has come to. the
conclusion that the conscientious OBJ
jector" SHOULD registe. formally
claiming exemption on the resistra-
ton blank Oh the grounds that his
conscience will not permit him to kill
even for the state. This is the con-
clusion reached by radicals like Scott
Nearing and Joseph D. Cannon of the
Mill, Mine and cmelter Workers un-
ion, as we'll as of conservatives like
Oswald Garrison Willard, president II
the New York Evening Post company
At the same time some of the MEM
bers of the executive committee re-
fused to sign the joint statement is
sued by the ex' cutive committee 81
the ground that older men and women
had no right to press those confronted
with the draft j. to any course of con-
drct.
Issue Statement.
The statement was finally signed by
q inn x,y1o
members of the executive committee
| The signatures are:
Lillian D. Valid. Mrs. Florence Kel-
ley, Joseph D. Cannon of the United
Mine Workers; i; Oft Nearing of Tole-
do: Mrs. Glendower Evans of Bos-
ten: Oswald Garrison Willard. Benja-
! min c. Marsh, Rev. John Haynes
Holmes, Rev. Norman Thomas, Jessie
w. Hughai Agnes Leach, Harold A.
Hatch. iona Gale, John Lovejoy Ell
lott, Jonathan c. Day, Alice Levi
| sohn, Henry r. Mussey, Owen X.
LoveJoy of the Natio..al Child Labor
| p. Lynch, Henry r. Linville, William
F. Cochran of Baltimore, and Roger
N. Baldwin of st. Louis.
! The statement in full is as follows:
'The presence in this country Of a
considerable number of. so-called con-
| scientious DIRECTORS is generally
known. In recent weeks these objec-
tors, confronted by the CONSUMPTION
! Act, have been undecided as 10
| whether they should make known
their conscientious scruples against
war by refusing to register, or refus.
ing military service Gas distinct from
alternative civil service which may
conceivably be secured hereafter)
when actually drafted by the process
of selection.
| I'm realization OF the necessity nt
; concerted action in this crisis and il,
; answer to appeals for counsel in the
matter, the undersigned, after consid-
| GRAFTON which las in some cases re.
versed original opinion, unite in stat.
ing their b lief that all conscientious
| DIRECTORS should register and indicate
in the way provided by the law their
personal opposition to participation i,
! war; Obedience to law, to the utmost
limit of conscience, is the basis of gooi
| citizenship. Public understanding anC
! sympathy, in this case, should not be
alienat,d by misdirected action. The
m~ral issue involved should not he
| confused. The opportunity provided by
| the bill to specify ones claims to ex'
emption from military service should
not be missed by those who desire It
state their objection to that service
| on religious or other consideration:
ground.
I I'VE therefore urge all conscientiou.
! objects to register stating their pro-
test in such form as they may thinl
best, at that time. We request tina
the widest possible publicity be give,
to this statement"