New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-09-02
~White Feather" Round
Up Will Start After
New Registration
$4,000 in First List
Men Afraid to Fight Are
scorned and Snubbed in
Foreign Refugees
fsp,c;al Dispatch to The Tribume)

fspecial Dispatch to The Trsbume)
WASHINGTON. Sept. L. Slackers
xho fail to register on September 10
v;,l be severely dealt with by the gov
eminent, Provost Marshal General
crowder, chief officer in charge of the
draft, announced to-day. BY registra
.;on day there will be agencies in every
mart of the country to point the finger
# accusation at every man of draft
COO who attempts to evade registra-
ton.
Under the terms of the act "any
ocrson who shall willfully fail or re-
fuse to present himself for registration
or to submit thereto as herein pro-
v;ded shall be guilty of "a misdemeanor
and shall, upon conviction in district
.ourt of the United States having ju-
r;sdiction thereof, be punished by i'm
nr;sonment for not more than one
year and shall thereupon be duly reg
istered."
$4,000 Dodged First Draft
II is estimated that between 10000
and $4,000 slackers have been rounded
M since June S, 1917. Names of others
not vet apprehended because of alb
sence from the country are in possess
sion of the government, and prosecu-
ZION faces any one of them who, hav-
ing fed the country to escape the
draft. attempts to return.
Under the terms of the law police
officials in all the states, counties and
cities throughout the country are re-
ouired to cooperate with the Depart
ment of Justice and other Federal
agencies in enforcing the provisions of
the act. Besides these agencies scores
UPON scores of private organizations,
national or local in scope, have been
set up by patriotic citizens to ferret
out the men who would shirk the call
of their country. Among the larger Of
these are the American Protective
League and the secret service branch
of the Council of National Defence.
There is hardly community of size
anywhere in the country where there
are not such local organizations.
For the man who has failed to reg
lister and for the man who has refused
to obey or has ignored the orders of
local boards life is becoming lncreas-
ingly miserable. The Department Of
Justice has on file the names Of 5000
slackers who fed to Mexico before
June 5, 1917, to escape registration.
United States Has Good Memory
Against each one a complete case has
been prepared, so that immediate pros
ecution can be undertaken the moment
the man attempts to recross the border,
whether the attempt is made during
the war or afterward. Expatriation is
the least Of the penalties awaiting him.
The present whereabouts of these
slackers in Mexico is equally we'll
known to the department and close
watch is kept on their individual
movements.
Despite the fact that the majority Of
these men are from wealthy families il
the United States, who keep then
supplied with funds, their lot is one
Of constant harassment. In Mexico
City, for example, where the mor'
wealthy ones have established a sor
Of colony, they are ostracized com
pletely, not only by Americans in tn
city who are above draft age, but b,
the natives as we'll. They are con
stantly subjected to insults and taunt
as thew pass THROUGH the streets