Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-06-08
GOVERNOR REFUSES To
OFFICIALS ON
REGISTRATION BOARDS
Clerks and SheriffS Must Sc
IeCt Men for New Army, DeS-
pite Embarrassment to Them
Through Political Reasons

Governor Harris will not excuse coun-
ty clerks and sheriffs from serving on
the military exemption boards, except
where one is providentially hindered
from serving, or where one is incompe-
tent to serve.
This was given out in positive terms
at the governors Office Thursday morn
ing. and was meant as an answer to the
clerks and sheriffs who have sought to
be excused, obviously for political rea-
sons, from serving on the boards.
The language of the draft act contem-
plates that the sheriff, the clerk and
a physician shall constitute the exem-
ton board IN eXery county. Following
the large number of requests to be ex-
cused, Governor Harris asked the war
department for further instructions.
The answer came in the following tele-
gram from Provost Marshal General
CroYder:
reference your telegram June 6th.
1t is the design of this office to continue
the registration machinery =or the
further execution of the law with as
few changes as possible"
Which means that the government eX-
poets the governor to nominate the
as the exemption board in each count,
and which means also that the governor
will do what the government expects.
There will be one board in each count
~, with the exception of the following,
which will have more than one:
SEVEN BOARDS HERE.
Atlanta will have seven boards for
the city, and one board for Fulton coun-
ty outside of the city.
Savannah will have two boards for
the city and one board for Chatham
county outside of the city.
Macon will have two boards for the
city and one board for Bibb county out
side of the city.
Augusta will have two boards for the
CITY and one board for Richmond coun-
ty outside of the city.
Reports have been received from all
but five or six counties on their regis
tration Tuesday. These reports show
that Georgia delivered a very high per-
centage of the number of men the
government expected on a basis of the
estimate supplied by the census bureau.
1t is probable that the percentage, when
air reports are in. may 60 as high as
20.
Governor Harris considers this a
very satisfactory showing. In view of
the leading states in volunteers for the
various branches OF the service. and in
view of the great exodus of negroes
out of the stale in recent months, the
governor regards Georgias showing as
quite worthy of the best traditions of
the state.
NEGRO EXODUS HURT.
The census bureaus estimates, of
course, took no account Of the men who
volunteered before regis ration day, and
no account of the thousands of negroes
who have left the state in the past six
months
1t will be noticed that most of the
counties falling notiCeably below the
governments expectation are counties
where the negro population is large, and
where The exodus has depleted them.
GeneraI Mash mas received a telegram
from Provost Marshal General Crow
der, stating that men who failed to
register and now desire to do so will
he accommodated for few days. The
telegram follows:
Attention is invited to paragraph
forty of the regulations which contem-
plates the registration of persons who
for any reason shall not have been reg
istereu on registration day. While
scrutinty should be made of each case
to determine whether punitive action ls
required. it is desired for the next few
days to pursue a liberal policy in this
regard in order that the registration
may be made complete at the earliest
possible moment.
"Non-residents may also continue to
register under the provisions of para
graph sixty-four. If it later appears
that the liberality of this policy is be-
ing abused, more stringent action will
be taken. Cards received from alb
sentees after the fifth should be filed
as prescribed in paragraph forty Please
give this the widest publicity and in
form all registration boards without
delay. CSgned) CROWDER." .