Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1917-07-27
CONG. CLAUDE KlTCHIN is AIDING

men Of this community
have testified in actions that
speak louder than words, flag
waving, or hurrahing, their love
of country and their willingness
to risk their lives to protect the
ideals for which she stands.
Next week, if possible, we wish
to give the names Of all those
who have enlisted from this COM
munity. This information would
have been contained in this issue,
if it had been obtainable, but due
to the fact that the enlistments
were divided among three Com
panies of the National Guard
Henderson, Warrenton and
Franklinton), the regular army
and the navy, an accurate record
could not be obtained in time.
Due to the efforts of Mr.. W.T..
Horner and the cooperation of
the business men and citizens of
this community farewell din
rer was tendared the boys on
Tuesday night at the Terminal
Hotel in Weldon, automobiles be-
ing pressed into service for the
occasion.
Wednesday noon saw the first
concrete evidence of war press
ed home to this community when
the boys left on S. A. l.. No. II
for the various mobilization
points. The partings witnessed
there are probably but the fore
runner of many more before the
German people can be brought to
reason or the Stars and Stripes
planted in Berlin, but sadness
did not seem to predominant at
the station, but rather a spirit of
optimism
The question has been raised
here as the method to be used
by the County Exemption Board
in establishing the quotas for
the various townships in the
county and accrediting the dis
trict with its voluntary enlist
ments. 1t has been widely circu-
lated that the several townships |
would not be credited with their
actual enlistments, credit being
given the county as a whole for
the volunteers it has furnished. |
AS Roanoke Rapids Township as
furnished around seventy five
men, or something like five times
as much as the other eleven
townships. the injustice of this
method is glaringly obvious.
The matter was taken up
Thursday by Mayor J. I. Chase,
who wired Congressman Claude
Kitchen as follows: Seventy two
men left Roanoke Rapids Town
ship yesterday enlisted in various
branches of United States mill
tary forces. In fairness to all
concerned, should not Roanoke
Rapids Township obtain credit
for these men as applied to the Sc
lective draft and not Halifax
county. What steps would you
advise to bring this matter to the
of the proper authori-
ties for adjustment. Please an
swer by wire our expense. J.T.
Chase, Mayor, Roanoke Rapids,
N. c."
The following answer received:
Wire received. War Depart
ment informs me that voluntary
enlistments after June 80 are not
accredited to first draft but will
be to second if rules governing
second draft are not changed.
Roanoke Rapids will be credited
with number of enlistments
since June 80 instead of Halifax
County. Claude Kitchen"
Efforts are now being made to
determine the exact number of
enlistments prior to June 30 for
credit in the first draft, and as
soon as this information is OBJ
tanned, efforts will be made to
have the War Department wire
the Exemption Board of Halifax
County for this credit. Unless
this township is given credit for