The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1917-06-22
III YOU Should De
CALLED FOR SERVICE
What Your Chances Are
and the Conditions in
Camps.
By gibson GARDNER

by 1IIOON 6A1EN6h
WASHINGTON, D. c., June I'll
Now that we have registered for Sc
Iective service, what next?
This question is in the minds Of
about 100000 young men and tneE
100000 relatives.
The answer is some OF its details
will be delayed for several days 1t
is contained in regulations now DO.
ing worked out by Provost Marshal
General Crowder and 1t must have tne
final approval Of the secretary OF war
and the president.
Some of the questions, however, can
be answered. For instance, how are
the men to be chosen? What are the
chances of being selected by lottery
and By exemption boards?
In round numbers million and a
half names will be taken by lot from
the ten million registered names ! lie
chances are about one in seven aud a
half of being selected in this lottery.
Then will follow exemptions on the
ground of occupation, dependent rel
atives or physical defects. THIS VIII
cut the number down to 5O0,O10, so
that the chance is one in three o. oe'
ing selected from the list chosen by
lot. -.
Will married men be eXcused9 AT
this writing this question is unaniWe?'
ed. It NAV be covered by the reg'lla'
tons which will before long Do pub.
Tebod prohahlv n will he left large.
ly to the Judgment of the local exemp'
ton boards.
win sons with dependent mo:hers
be excused? Again the answer is to
be found in the regulations ana the
judgment of the local exemption
boards. .,
Broadly speaking, it may be said
that those having dependent relatives
will be excused. Not all. ho"cvef'
will be excused. They are more like
ly to be excused however, II Their &C.
cupation is important to industry, or
for instance, if they are in a mechanl'
cal trade or farming.
II it should happen that the man
with dependent relative be LAWYER
or have no regular profession he might
still be selected on the theory that the
$50 month to be paid him as SOL
der would go farther toward support.
ing his dependent mother than casual
earnings in industry or his profession
1t is expected that about one man Ill
three will measure up to the physical
requirements. These requirements
will necessarily be relaxed from the
severe tests applied to the regular
army and will come nearer to those
applied to the state militia.
If it should happen that exemptions
for occupation, physical defects and de-
pendent relatives reduced the numDsr
| in any community below the number
required from that community another
drawing would be made from the regis
tration list and new candidates would
appear before the exemption boards
These exemption boards will be III
manv cases the same officials who did
the registering. 1t is not necessary
however, that they be the same otflc-
ials, Nominations for exemption board
duty are now being sent to the presl'
dent and by him forwarded to the war
department where they are inVestigat'
ed to discover their qualifications to
serve on such boards.
Appeal is allowed from the decision
of exemption boards and one OF the
big Jobs now faced by the war depart
ment is the creation Of these boards ot
appeal, one in each federal judicial do
trict. Judicial districts are quite
large and such appeal boards will
he very busy after the exemption
boards have done their work, hearing
cases brought to them on appeal.
It is not necessary to have law
yer to make this appeal The purpose
is to have everything informal II
candidate feels that he is not being
lsirly dealt with by his local exemp'
ticn board and that he has a proper
ground to be excused he may come be-
fore the appeal board and tell history.
The work Of selecting from the reg
istered men is expected to occupy
nearly two months. By that time the
government will have a roster Oh 2
half million or more able-bodied and
more or less foot.loose young men,
These young men will not be called
until the cantonment barracks are
ready for them. This will not be be-
fore September 1, according TO tns
present prospect.
1t will take from 60 to 80 days to
build these cantonment Cities but
when they are ready the men will be
ordered to assemble and will be put
under the command of officers now be.
ing trained in the various camps OF
the officers reserve corps. These Of
Rcers will teach the 100000 rockies
the first principles Of soldering.
Pay will begin for each man from
the time he gets orders to report OF
takes the formal oath Sas a soldier
ut will begin whether he actually is
ordered to camp or begins drilling or
remains at home. He will be issued
his uniform and shoes and when he has
put them on he will resemble In all
respects soldier in the national guard
or regular army.
There is nothing distinctive about
the uniform Of the selecttVe service
army unless button on the collar be
used to designate as the militia and
regulars are designated.
In assembling and organizing the
men an effort will be made to hold
localities together. The boys from
Chicago, for instance, will not be mix
ed up with those from st. Louis or
New York, although they may be If
the war department later decides to