Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1917-04-27
woopsrou. vIEs,> 3
THE sELECTIvE DRAFT.

THE SELECTlvE DRAFT.
Editorial space is clieerfully |
yielded to this excellent article
from the Baltimore American.
President Wilson'sesponsalofI
the selective draft is based upon
grounds OF logic and patriotism.
Supported by considerations of
public economy and general util-
ity, that makes it unassailable.
He explains that the effect Of the
Selecttve draft would be to range
the entire population in their ap
propriate capacities and places,
for the service of the nation. 1t
would prevent the depletion Of
factories and farms for the sake
of the Army and tile Navy, as is
likely to happen under the volun-
teer system. It would recruit in
the first instance those who might
best be spared FROM the civil oc-
clpations and give to them the
work for which they are best
fitted and that would provide
them with the needed discipline
of life. Those who would be
first gained for the Army would
be young men of vigor and of an
average type o. character and
Capacity to compare with any
other class. But they would be
men who could best be spared
whether they should be rich or
poor.
Mr.. Wilson sets forth the ends
sought by the selective draft in
his usual felicitious manner. He
says:
Our object is a mobilization
Of all the productive and active
forces of the nation and their de.
velopment to the highest point
of cooperation and efficiency,
and the idea of the seleetive draft
is that those should be choser
for service in the Army who car
be most readily spared from the
prosecution of the other activi.
ties which the country must en-
gage in and to which it must de-
vote a great deal of it's best en-
erxy and capacity"
The selectiye draft would place
the United States where England
arrived after two years-twc
years of blundering. with the
tremendous losses and perils in.
volsrd. aud the wastes that
brought it to the plight IN which
it now is. The United States is
preparing for a war of from three
t. fiveyears. Individual opinion
may hold that the war will not
last more tina n that many months.
Ii this be true. then the world
will be infinitely blessed. But
the nation that renders its dead
and the dead of its foes into oils
and fats, the nation that enslaves
and victimizes and deba uches lis
civil prisoners. the nation that
iuzkes Of its women nnspeaka bic
instruments for lust, all upon
grounds Of economy and efficien.
cy. is a nation that presents in.
finitely greater terrors than any
nation or race that has ever
cursed the globe by its standards
Of bArbariSm.
Those who would temporize
with this foe, ten million strong, |
would palaver with the arch-fiend |
in the hope of gaining |
immunities in Hades. The ma
tion is back of the President be-
:auxe the President IS leading
he nation to security and tol
liberty, and the world to redemp-
ion and light. Those who op-t
,ose the President oppose the
and the interests of the
lge. They may be agreeable
gentlemen with watch-springl
onsciences. They may be gen
lemeu of vast pacifism or vas
,enOvolence. But they viii
eature in a worse character thanI
;4tan when he dons the garb oil
"A angel of light. They will b.
Iefamers Of the traditions of Ill
alton, they will be usurpers o
he throne OF public opinion,
hey upwittinxly prove Infinitely
nore ruthless to the country I
han they are willing to admit, =
4 their fever of extenuation, the
Germans would be If in powsrlv
re. (
There is no time, no room, no b
eed for argument. Of course.
he selective draft will be I'm tc'
cted into law. It is the will vi
ie nation. it represents .Ita
.curity Of the nation, it con II;