The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1917-05-31

OF common sense rules. Common
sense, indeed, viii be the principle ap
piled, ne said, and therefor.
every man can determine after being
drafted exactly whether ne is to bc
called TO military service by the fol
lowing reasoning in the following case
cited by war department official:
Suppose a farmer has a big acre.
age and always has had one son to
assist him, or really to help manage
his business Now, the local exemp-
ton board would know that case thor
oughly. They would know that 10 take
away that son would hurt the pro-
ductiveness Of that farm, and thereby
the Nations food supply. But suppose
the man had two or three sons, and
the local board knew that the farmer
could spare one or possibly two Of
them and still turn over a big crop,
that there were men above the mill
tary age who were available 70 take
the sons places, and that labor had
been plentiful in that section It
would be unwise TO make exemptions
in that case. But 1t might be that
labor was scarce and that the farm
could not be managed if the boys were
taken away. The local board would
have power 10 make any exemption
deemed necessary 70 keep the farms
manned"
But the war department isn't anti
cipating any difficulty, chiefly because
the patriotism Of the American youth
can be depended upon What son
would stay at home or could, con-
sistent with his self respect in the
community, if it were generally
known that he could be spared? What
son would want the exemption unless
the local board insisted upon it? And,
in most cases it probably will be the
employers OF farm labor who will be
the employers Of farm labor who will
be instrumental in procuring exemp-
tons over the protest, no doubt, Of
the very youngsters affected
But the local board viii have orders
not to permit any men to go TO war
until satisfied that industries would
not be vitaIly affected That is the
whole principle underlying the con-
cription act as distinguished from vol
unteering. Under the latter system,
the patriotic ardor Of the youth could
not be restrained, and the business
and agricultural fabric OF Nation,
it was argued, would be undermined.
Now, with war a much more indus
trial than military affair, so far as
this country, at least, is concerned, 1t
becomes of the utmost Importance
that food and munitions and other
war supplies needed by ourselves and
our allies shall not only be produced
in as great quantities as heretofore,
but in even greater bulk
The government, in effect, there
fore, will say through the instrument
-alities Of local boards familiar with
local conditions what men should go
10 war and what men are distinctly |
needed in agriculture and other lines
of work valuable TO the national de-
fence. And men exempted viii De
given a button TO wear, which shall /
Indicate that the government rejected /
.nen because they were too valuable
1t home, and not because they were
to give their lives TO the
,ation. In that way will the hate
al word Stacker remain out Of the
American vocabulary.
OF course, later on, if another incre-
nent OF Z million men shall be call
d for. there would be another digging
nto the jury wheel for more names,
,ut War Department officials see no
eason why the exemption processes
ieed undergo any change For It SIM
,ly would mean that in the case OF
yew York state, where fifty thousand
nen would be taken out Of the l mil
ion ehglbleS, the government "ouo
raw out fifty thousand more names
% many men are still available in the
emainder that the government will
OF have TO alter its exemption rules
D get more men TO take the places
f those exempted by the local boards
The possibility of calling for
econd increment of Il million is a
smote one. 1t will take probably a
ear for the first L million 10 become
1uipped and ready for service, as well
5 transported to Europe. If second
,rce is called it would De twelve to
ghteen months hence, by which time
lost officials here believe the war
i'll be over or az least the need Of
len from the United States not SO
rgent.