The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1917-06-06
over 10 MILLION MEN
REGISTERED YESTERDAY
|DAY PASSED QUIETLY
Governors of States Unanimous in
Reporting That Full Registra-
ton Was Indicated.
VERY FEW ARRESTS MADE
Hundreds of Thousands Make No
Reply to Question, "Do You
Claim EXemptiton?"

ten million young Americans enrolled
themselves today for war service.
Registration day, with but a few
weeks of preparation, saw the first
military census ever taken in the
United States completed without a
single untoward event of consequence
The manhood of the nation obeyed
the Presidents call and volunteered
in mass, setting at naught all the
schemes and plottings of German
sympathiZers and the few cranks who
thave agitated against registrations.
1t remains but to select the men who
are to go to the front.
From virtually every State reas-
suring messages came tonight to
Brig. Gen, Crowder, provost marshal
general, federal supervising officer of
the great enterprise.
Forced to Keep Late Hours.
. In some precincts the late comers
forced officials to keep the polls open
until long after p. M, the closing
hour set in the regulation. Gen. Crow
der authorized them to keep open as
long as the men wished to enroll
themselves.
The early reports, showing a full
turn out all over the country, indicat-
ed that the estimates Of the census
bureau as to the number of men with
in the specified age limits would be
verified by the count. Wherever par
1oI1
mate checked closely
+ A typical message received was
that from 4daho:- .,-....... .,-..-..-. ...
"Registration will be 100 per cent"
it said, "Spontaneous and without
murmur or incident"
The situation was so clear and the
response SO ready throughout the
country that Governors of forty-six
of the ty-eight States had sent
similar assurances long before regis
tration had closed and the other two
,were close on their heels.
Feature of Registration.
A feature of the registration was
the refusal of hundreds of thousands
Of men to make any reply to the
question, "Do you claim exemption 2"
Even men who reported that they
had dependent families, men with OBJ
vious physical disabilities and those
whose occupation are certain to keep
them at home, declined to make such
a claim. Apparently they have en-
tered fully into the very spirit of
the law. They are content to leave
the question of exemption to the ex-
emption boards. They have no claims
to make, but are ready to do their
share, whatever it may be.
With the closing Of each registra-
tion precinct officials went at once to
the task of sorting and classifying
the cards. There is much work to be
done in order that the brief synopsis
which each Governor vii make to
Gen. Crowder of the registration of
his State may go forward promptly.
Gen. C-owder is hopeful that an
other thirty-six hours will see the full
record of the country on his desk.
Only Continental.
Aouay IeBiStTatlOn lnciuQeQ only
continental United States. Alaska
and Hawaii will record their fighting
men on dates to be set later, and the
roll of Americans now abroad who are
now beseiging consulates all over the
world for registration cards will add
to the great list.
Gen. Crowder made it clear that
registration acted as a bar against no
man who wishes to enlist in the army
or navy.
Any man who enrolled himself to-
day, but whose patriotic impulse bids
him step into the ranks now and not
await selection day, will pass from
the registration lists automatically.
A man may take his choice as to the
part of the great national army in
which he will serve, regulars, Nation
al Guard or selective.
Failed to Give Address.
Many cards mailed by men from
their home precinct failed to show the
present address of the individual.
Governors of many States," Gen.
Crowder said in statement, "report
that the registration cards of alb
sentees which are reaching home pre-
cincts in many instances do not car