Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1917-07-26

army VI lIUcICy, S,OVU,VVO SIrOI(S, Is
being marshaled today in the order
it's ranks will 60 forward, tothe last
able bodied man if need be, to battle
for country and the preservation of
democracy.
Late Saturday the great draft lot
terry was completed, telling forth,
number by number, the order in
which the registered young men of
the nation will be called for exam
ination of their fitness for the first
selective army of $4,000 men.
Draw Hour After Hour,
For hours blindfolded officials,
serving in rotation, drew the num-
bers of the registrants from huge
glass globe containing 10000 numer-
ais. AS each number was drawn it
was announced, chalked up on a
blackboard, and telephoned to the
newspapers.
As each blackboard filled with the
numbers Of registrants it was photo
graphed. The photographs will be
sent to the exemption boards as a
check on the printed lists of num-
bers that will be issued.
Each Calls Many Men
Each numeral drawn from the
glass globe call for from one to A.
557 men in the 1857 exemption dis
tricts of the country to take their
place in the order in which they will
be called.
To obtain the $4,000 men needed
at first the exemption districts will
be required to examine 1,374,OOO
registrants.
With the draft drawing completed
there will come the examination Of
eligibles, the elimination Of those
entitled to exemption, the mobiliza-
tion and the training of the national
army.
Opposed By Socialists
In entering upon the exemption
phase Of the draft the administration
faces the most difficult part Of the
process and is preparing to deal
promptly with every contingency, in
cluding possible disorder.
The Socialist party, is preparing
to oppose the draft. It will contest
the constitutionality of the law and
will seek to prevent it's members
from being conscripted to military
service. When Julian Brill, a Wash
ington Socialist, was designated by
the lottery today he reported to his
party headquarters and was instruct
ed to claim exemption as a conscien-
tious objector.
Julian Pierce, secretary of the
party, spoke at an open air meeting
in Washington in opposition of the
draft, but he was guarded in his
criticisms.
Drawing Done Steadily
The drawing, which began at 9:30
O'Clock Friday was completed late
that night. BY morning every one
of the 9,659.382 men who registered
for service knew when, if ever, he is
to be called upon to fight
While the drawing is to designate
the order of liability for service of
all men in the country between the
ages of 21 and 80 years, inclusive,
the immediate object is the selection
of 1000 fighting men, 100000 for
the first increment Of the army, and
$4,000 to fill the ranks of the reg
ular army and the national guard.
To determine priority of submission
to physical examination for this SER
vice, the plan Of the lottery decreed
that men in each exemption district
of the country whose numbers we're
drawn should respond in the order of
the drawing.
The first number taken from the
glass bowl was 258. That means
that every man whose serial draft |
number is 258 in every one of the (
4557 exemption board districts of the
country will be the first summoned
when the next step in the great selec-
tive conscription scheme is taken.
Why Big Number Was Used
There were 10000 numbers drawn,
because one district in the country,
in Detroit. Mich, contained more
than 10000 registered men. In the
ma iority Of the districts. however.
the maximum number aproximated
5000. Some Of the big cities had
districts where the registration ran
as high as 1000, 5000 and 5000 1t
was these large districts that made
It necessary to draw so many num-
)ers.
In computing the lists for the first
,all, exemption boards will disregard
al numbers above the highest num-
ser in the given district list.
For the first call all boards have
2een directed to summon twice, as
many men as the quota to be requir-
ID from it in making up the total of
$4,000 men, That means that L.
10000 men who were drafted will
,e asked to report for examination