Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1917-08-08

boards are simply futile strokes in
the air. All the records necessary to
hold such persons are already on file
at State headquarters and at the Ma
t1onal Capital, and since local boards
+ have no occasion to use any force In
simply offering beneficial opportu-
nifty to registered persons, there is no
field for resistance. If resistance Is
attempted later when the army seeks
to apprehend deserters, it will in
stantly encounter troops of the Fede-
raj government"
In practice, under Gen. Crowders
| construction Of the law, registered
men who do not appear for examina-
tion will. be posted to the district
boards as selected for military SER
vice as soon as the five-day period al
lowed them to put in an appearance
after they have been summoned, has
elapsed. Two days more will elapse
after their names reach the district
board to await appeal action by the
individual. They will then be posted
to the Adjutant General Of the State
as selected to fill the quotas of their
district.
May BE Sentenced to Death.
Orders for the mobilization Of the
selected men will be given some time
during the present month. If the re-
sister fails to obey that order, he will
be set down as absent without leave
and the machinery Of the army will
be set in motion to bring him in. In
addition, all State and municipal po-
lice authorities and all United States
marshals will be used to apprehend
him. When 1t is clear that he Is will
fully absenting himself with no in
tention of reporting to the army,
charge of desertion will be placed
against him. From that time on, any
civil ofncer who arrests him will earn
a reward of $50.
competent court-martial, the indi-
vidual may be sentenced to death,
and only the President can save him
from punishment.
Gen. CroWder believes that the re-
sisters in Oklahoma and elsewhere
are acting under q delusion, fostered
probably by agitators, that they are
conducting political campaign
against the draft, whereas, the time
for that passed when the registration
was completed The government
takes no interest in their proceed
ings now unless they fail to report to
their companies when called. There
Is no question involved of civil courts
or local iuries. Thirteen army officers
Will pass on the cases OF the men
when they are brought to book, and
the armed strength Of the nation Is
available to bring them to book.
AS to those who are aiding or abet-
ting the resisters the situation is diff
ferent. While the government will
make no effort to bring in men who
do not obey the summons Of the local
selection boards, Or attempt to en-
force their attendance in any way
until they have passed into the mill
tary status, 1t will use every energy
to stamp out disorders designed to
prevent the execution of the Federal
law. For this purpose the President
has legal power to employ the army
In any State without reference to the
State authorities. In practice, how
ever, such step would not be taken
until the Governors asked for mill
tary forces to restore order They
would be furnished promptly by de-
partment commanders, without red
tape or delay.
TO Cut Appeals for Exemption.
Gen. Crowder also took action to-
day to reduce the number Of applica-
tions for exemption which news re-
ports indicate are being filed. In a
telegram to all Governors he directed
that local boards be instructed to
furnish to newspapers hereafter,
from day to day, names of all regis
tered men who apply for exemption,
the grounds asserted to support such
claim and the action taken by the
board. In cases Of discharge for
physical disqualifications this does
not apply, as these are not cases
where exemption Is claimed, but are
the result of rejection by q board.