The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1918-05-31
ldlers, Workers In
Unessential Trades
Must Work Fight
STORE CLERKS, WATERS, ELEVA-
TOR OPERATORS, BARTEND-
ERS ALL AFFECTED
BOARDS TO DISREGARD
EXEMPTIONS FOR RULE
NEW REGULATIONS BECOME EFF
FECTIvE JULY 1sT TO CO-OR
DINATE WAR INDUSTRIES

'
DINATE WAR INDUSTRIES
-
Washington, May 23.-Every man OF
draft age must work or fight after
July 1 under a drastic amendment to
the selective service regulations an
nounced by Provost Marshal General
Z, H. Crowder.
Not only idlers, but all draft regis
trants engaged in what are held to
be nonessential occupations are to be
hailed before local boards and given
the choice of new job or the army.
Those who will be reached by the
new regulation include walters, bar
tenders, theatre ushers and attend
ants, passengers elevator operators,
clerks and others.
Deferred classification granted on
account of dependents will be disre-
garded entirely in applying the rules.
A man may be at the bottom of class
one or even in class four. But II he
falls within the regulation and refus-
es to take useful employment he will
be given a new number in class one
that will send him into the military
service forthwith.
Local boards are authorized to use
discretion only where they find that
enforced change of employment would
result in dispFoportfo hardship
upon his dependents.
Move Long Expected
1t had been known for some time
that some form Of work Or fight"
plan had been submitted" to Presi'
dent Wilson, but there had been no
intimation that it was so farreaching
in scope. Both the military authori-
les and department Of labor officials
believe that it will go a long way to-
ward solving the labor problem for
farmers shipbuilders and munition
makers. and will end for the present
at least talk of conscription of labor.
The announcement gives notice
significantly that the list of non-use
full occupations will be extended from
time to time as necessity requires.
Actors Will Be Exempted
Theatrical performers are exempt
ed from the regulations at the direc-
tion of Secretary of War Baker, who
is said to feel that the people cannot
do without all amusement in war
time and that other amusements
could be. dispensed with more read
lily. Not only idlers, but all draft re-
gistrants engaged in what are held
to be non-useful occupations are to be
hailed before local boards and given
the choice of a new job or the army.
Work or Fight!
Work or fight" is the order to
every Amenican of draft age. These
are the alternative duties that coll
front not only young men between
twenty one and thirty, but every
mothers son and daughter of us. They
are really variants of one supreme
duty, for working is fighting, and
fighting is only one form of war work,
though perhaps the most arduous and
certainly the most dangerous. &.
The order of Provost Marshall Cen
raaErowder is fresh reminder that,
when the nation is at war, when our
institutions. our freedom, our very
civilization, are at stake, every indiv-
dual in the nation must bear his
share of the burden, must strive to
the utmost and in the most effective
way TO help win the war. ,$s:t, -.
.s The purpose of course, is to hasten
along, the flow of labor into the war
industries. This flow has been going
on naturally and steadily, but it is
not rapid enough. There has been
talk Of conscription Of labor to man
the vital war industries. But the diff
f1culties in the way of this, are tre
mendous. >s!$|;: Il. .,.Its:,
So the government now says to the
young man of draft age who is en-
gagged in any Of certain occupations
deemed non essentials: "Take a. job
in the service, or In a war industry =
~ IT is not to be- hastily inferred that
there is here involved any necessary
cond emnation5 Of the occupa atoms now
& listed Ss as on-.esse initial. Gamblers,
Racetrack men, buc ketshop employ:
sees and fortune i ellers are, sof course,s