Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1917-07-19

prevents the spinning or the jury wheel IN the
office of the Provost Marshall in Washington,
where the drawing will be made, is the fact
that eleven Of the States have not reported their
district boards as being ready Tor the draft
Most of these states include the larger cities Of
the country in which the work Of compiling
and numbering the registration list has been a
stupendous task 1t is confidently expected that
before the end Of this week every State will be
ready and it is most important that every man
who is registered acquaint himself with the
regulations covering the draft OF total regis
tration Of ten million men the government, on
this first draft will call to the coIors an army OF
$4,000. OF this the State Of Maryland will
supply about 1000, the quota of the Fifth
Congressional District being approximately
1000 men. In ST. Mary's county | Isl are
registered and from best adWces obtainable
-ahout 40 of her sons will be permitted to re-
spond to their countrys call for her first Nation
al Army. Every precauhon has been taken
to insure absolute fairness IN the selection, the
actual drawing being done in Washington by
numbers corresponding to those in the different
registration districts throug bout the country.
The local exemption boards have been appoint
ed solely with regard to the integrity and fitness
of each individual member, and from which
politics has been entirely eliminated This
board will in no event consider any application
for examination or exemption until after the
drawing has been made, and will then pass
only on such regstrants as have been summoned
before the board
1t seems probable that all Of the numbers
representing the total registration will be drawn,
thus giving each man his relative position on the
eligible roster and definitely determining the or
der In which he will be called upon for exami-
nation. Army experts are advancing the opin-
ion that three times as many men will be sum-
moned before the boards as are needed to make
up the first army, two out of every three men
examined being rejected or exempted The
local boards will pass only on physical quallf-
cations and on claims of exemption on account
of family dependents All other questions in
volving exemption for industrial and other
causes will be referred to the superior or appe-
late boards, one Of which has been created for
each Federal judicial district
The selective draft is distinctvely typical Of
Tic uSHlOCIdCy vi WHICH HHlCIlCd Is So JuSuy
proud, to which she owes her greatness as a
Nation, and for which she will exert every atom
Of her strength until its blessings are shared by
every civilized country on the globe. Iii most
deplorable that even in isolated cases this new
recruiting method has been accorded any lesser
honor than that which attaches to service under
the old volunteer system. The selective draft
is the law Of America; and the millions Of
young men, the pride and flower Of America
who have enrolled themselves under its prous-
ions and now await the summons to hurl them
selves into that breach where democracy will
wage its last battle, represent the very highest
type Of manhood and citizenship. The selec-
tive draft is the only system that equally dis
tributes the burdens Of war, recognizes no social
or class distinctions, obliterates all geographical
or sectional lines and marshalls all the men Of