The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-05-11
Many States Plan to Make
Patriotic Demonstration
of Enrolling for Army.
STATES TO RACE
TO FINISH 1T FIRST
Helping Government is Not
To-Splendid Spirit Per
vades the Land.
Washington Bureau,
The PenRacola journal.


Washington, D. c., May 1O.-Re-
ports reaching Washington that
Registration Day for the new war
army whenever it is designated, is
to be made a day of festivity and to
be marked by patriotic demonstra-
lions instead of being a "drudgery
day" have been received with a great
degree Of qualification by the war
department, The spirit of PATRIOTISM
| seems to have entered into the ar
engagements for the occasion which
have been made by many of the state
officials.
It is the desire of the war depart
ment that all the states shall enter
into the duty of registration with the
| same spirit already manifested in
many parts of the country. In one
state, for instance, the occasion in
large part is to take on the nature
of a patriotic demonstration, a sort
of national fete day. In many parts
of that state there will be barbe-
cues and like affairs to draw c.le
people, so that those upon whom +he
duty of registration devolves will
know that they have the support Of
their fellows of all occupations, and
of all the ages.
A report from another state is to
the effect that it hopes to clear up
its registration duties in such short
order that it may lay claim to bel lg
first in a race prompted b. Datri-
! otto duty. If this spirit is. felt in
other sections an interesting and
! somewhat lively contest will take
| place as to which can make the first
report of duty we'll done.
1t is not to be a difficult thing for
I the officials and people to carry out
| the governments instructions on
Registration Day, and to complete
/ the labor in hand. The men who must
register, in accordance with the re
| quirements of the law, will find reg
| istratiOn easy, full instructions will
| be issued and can easily be secured.
There is nothing hard, nor in the
least involved, in the series of Ques-
tions which are to be answered.
DireCtness of question will be
| employed, and directness Of answer
will make all things easy for the
men of the country and for the gov
| eminent which is to claim their serv-
! ices.
The questions which are to be an
swered involve comparatively few
! subjects. The name in full; the age;
! the home address; the date of birth d;
/ the quality of citizenship. natural
/ born, naturalized or the condition of
! declaration of intention; the place of
birth, trade, occupation, or office;
! employment, and by whom employed;
! dependents if any; married or single;
, race; former military service and
where it was rendered, and lastly,
claims of exemption from draft, with
| the specific grounds therefore.
| These constitute virtually all the
| questions which the man whose age
makes him subject to registration will
he called upon to answer. With the
questions there will be explanations
of how they are to be answered. and
! suggestions will be made for brev-
ity.
The war department officials do
not believe there viii be many diff
culties in the way of completing the
work Of Registration Day properly
and quickly. Several of the states
have relieved the government entire
! " Of expense connected with the work
of securing complete registration; in
fact helpfulness seems to be common
to the country. 1t is believed by the
| government officials that the spirit
of field service will be in keeping
with that which has marked the ac-
| tivities in all matters connected with
the new national army from the be-
! ginning.