Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-07-26
Ei1psttttD Gl1at

The fortunate position of Harris
burg under the draft because of the
many enlistments made in the armed
forces prior to July L is a subject
for congratulation by a good many
visitors who have been coming to
this city the last few days. One man
who came to look after some busi-
ness at the State Capitol said that he
did not think the people here were
aware of how favored they were. In
my town." said he, "the draft has
hit every bank, most of the stores,
taken several chauffeurs, hotel clerks
and doctors. 1t has invaded one man.
ufacturing plant. which cannot be I
classed as a munition making estab-
lishment, and it will have to reor-
ganize its people after the draft
finishes" Another man who comes
from up the state said that his home
l'town did not have much manufac-
turing or railroad work and its men
could not claim much exemption.
Talk about exemptions" said an
other man from a rural county who
got into the conversation in the Cap
! itol rotunda, they say that the
| young farmers are to be cared for
! because they are necessary to raise
the food. Why, do you know that the
young fellows on the farms are what
are making your cities send small
| quotas. The farmer lads are doing as
their grandfathers did in the Civil
! war. They are going to war. Talk
about keeping them on the farm.
| Why, even the chance of exemption
| from military service because of
farm work won't keep the country
boys OF Pennsylvania from getting
into the fight. A lot of these fellows
| turned up in Harrisburg and other
! nlarae a,o1f ;Y,-
or their own counties" What the
rural legislator said was rather i'm
presslVe as the list of men enlisting
in the army, navy and National
Guard from here will readily show.
| The average person has little idea
of the tremendous amount of detail
| ed matter which must be handled
by the state bureau in charge of the
| draft and its many ramifications. Not
only are the cards from all over the
| state filed with it, but it must handle
a multitude of reports and some tons
| of supplies. These supplies are is
! sued on a basis of so much of a
percentage of the registration. In
some cases the issue is to be Is per
cent. and in others three-eighths of
one per cent. There are all sorts of
calculations to be made and every
one is different for each district. The
other day 200 sacks of mail which
had been called for all over the
state arrived and the bulk would
have filled the rooms at the disposal
OF the bureau. So three storerooms
were rented and jammed with all
sorts of stores, while arrangements
were no sooner made for issuance
than things started.
Saturday man called up Colonel
Frank G. Sweeney, the officer in
charge, and asked for supplies. Tho
colonel, who never gets ruffied no
matter how hot the weather or fire.
quent the inquiries, asked what he
especially desired. The man said he
wanted everything.
"All right" replied the colonel.
you shall get them"
But he did not tell the man that
he would receive some of 126 sepa-
rate and distinct kinds of blanks,
forms or other supplies and would
have to be responsible for all of
them.
There are a whole of people who
do not understand just how the draft
works and they are tangling up
themselves and their friends by
Specializing and getting out what IS
called in slang "the wrong dope"
AdJutant General Thomas ]. Stewart
and Colonel Frank G.. Sweeney, irV
charge or the headquarters, are being
appealed to for untying of all sorts
of knots in relation to the draft. IF
people would only hunt up their local
board members and ask them. they
would be helping themselves and
helping u.s." said Colonel Sweeney.
AS fast as we get any information
or rules or forms we send il to local
boards. What every fellow ought to
do is to get into touch with his local
board. Chances are that the mem
bers know the man and can help
him speedily. The advice I have to
give and what notice is being given
in Washington, is get in touch with
your local board"
The number of questions that can
be fired into the draft headquarters
an hour is astonishing. The bureau
has only a limited number of persons
to answer questions and handle all
of the work and the information de-
manded is bewildering. Men and
women call up and ask to be told
numbers and resent it when they are
told to call half an hour later. To
find a number the records of some
one of the 2S2 districts must be gone
over and as they are not alphabet
ically arranged but according to
numbers, some idea of that simple
task can be obtained. Other questions
asked are when the men are to go
into camp. whether they will go to
France, will they be given choice of
infantry, cavalry or artillery, what
will they be paid and how long will