Middletown transcript., 1917-05-26


Plans.
Washington, May 21.-Flatly reject
ing that section of the measure which
would permit Colonel Roosevelt to or
ganize volunteer divisions, President
Wilson signed the conscription bill.
The president signed the army bill
| just after dinner at p. m. on Friday,
without formality, and set June 8 as
the date of registration for all men be-
| tween the ages of twenty-one anu
thirty-one for military service.
President Issues Proclamation.
President Wilson's proclamation, put
ting into effect the selective draft pro-
vision of the war army bill, signed last
night, follows in part:
"a proclamation by the president OF
the United States:
"Whereas, Congress has enacted and
the president has on the 18th day OF
May, one thousand nine hundred and
seventeen, approved law which con-
tains the following provisions:
"Section 5. That all male persons be-
tween the ages of twenty-one and
thirty, both inclusive, shall be subject
| to registration in accordance with reg
ulations to be prescribed by the presi-
dent; and upon proclamation by the
president or other public notice given
by him or by his direction, stating the
time and place of such registration, it
shall be the duty of all persons Of the
designated ages, except officers and en-
listed men of the regular army, the
| navy and the National Guard and naval
militia while in the service of the
! United States, to present themselves
| for and submit to registration under
| the provisions of this act, and every
such person shall be deemed to have
notice Of the requirements of this act
upon the publication of said proclama-
| tion or other notice as aforesaid given
by the president or by his direction /;
and any person who shall willfully fail
or refuse to present himself for regis
| tration or to submit thereto as herein
provided, shall be guilty of n misde-
| meanOr and shall, upon conviction in
| the district court of the United States
having Jurisdiction thereof, be pun
ished by Imprisonment for not more
than one year, and shall thereupOn be
duly registered; provided, that in the
| call of the docket precedence shall be
given, in courts trying the same, to the
| trial of criminal proceedings under
this act: Provided further, that per-
sons shall be subject to registration as
herein provided who shall have at
tanned their twenty-first birthday and
who shall not have attained their thiry-
first birthday on or before the day set
for registration, and all persons so reg
istered shall be and remain subject to
draft into the forces hereby authorized.
unless exempted or excused therefr0m
as in this act provided.
Registration on June S.
"Now, therefore, Woodrow Wilson.
president of the United States, do call
upon the governor of each of the sew
eral states and territories, the board
of commissioners of the District Of
Columbia and all officers and agents
of the several states and territories,
of the District of Columbia and of
the counties and municipalities there
in to perform certain duties in the
| execution of the foregoing law, which
| duties will be communicated to them
directly in regulations of even date
herewith.
"And l do further proclaim and give
notice to all persons subject to regis
tration in the several states and in
the District of Columbia in accord
ancc with the above law that the time
and place of such registration shall be
between Z a. m. and 8 p. m.- on the
9th day of June 1917, at the regis
tration place in the precinct wherein
they have their permanent homes.
Those who shall have attained their
twenty-first birthday and who shall
not have attained their thirty-first
birthday on or before the day here
named are required to register, ex-
| CCDtlnT Only OllCSIS uIlNl SHIlSIcu uitH
of the regul:r army, the navy, the
marine corps and the National Guard
and naval militia while in the service
of the United States, and officers in
the officers reserve corps and enlisted
men in the enlisted reserve corps
while in active service. In the terri
| tories of Alaska, Hawaii and Porto
Rico a day for registration will be
| named in later proclamation.
All Must Cooperate.
'The power against which we are
arrayed has sought to impose its will
upon the world by force. To this end
| II mas increased armament until it
has changed the face of war. In the
sense in which we have been wont to
think of armies there are no armies
in this struggle. There are entire ma
| tions armed. Thus, the men who re-
main to till the soil and man the fac
tories are no less a part of the army