Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1918-06-12
REGISTRATION BOARDS PRAISED
BY CROWDER.

III Sllo wa AIss
The Provost Marshal General, in a
letter addressed to the men who have
just attained their majority pays the
following we'll merited tribute to the
registration boards: :.
Zone year ago occurred the first reg
istration for military purposes of the
young manhood Of the nation. Ten
million men responded in single day.
This accomplishment was nothing
short of marvellous. The task of util-
izing this enormous force seemed un
achievable. But the work Of classifi-
cation OF this great mass of man-power
in such way as to permit its organi-
cation and moulding into an effective
army was entrusted to 1853 local
boards and 1876 district boards, con-
shutting a force of nearly $4,000 of
the leading citizens of every communi-
ty who were assisted in their work
by more than 100000 equally patriotic
volunteers, and have performed a
work that challenges the attention and
excites the admiration of all our peo-
pie.
"Well may we pause today, while
another million of our youths enter
the lists and survey the results Of the
years work. Each registrant has
been examined and his availability for
military service has been determined.
In other words these millions of men
have been classified in such a manner
that the nation may now call them to
come forward into the army. No call
can be so large that it will not be fill
ed immediately whether the number
such as may be filled by those who
have been found to stand in the first
rank of the availables or so great that
the men in the second, third and
fourth ranks of availability must go
forward. In other words, all these
millions of men, who one year ago
were an inert mass have become a
mobile army. Each has found. his
place and each in his proper turn has
marched or awaits the order to march.
These results could not have been
accomplished except through the de-
voted and unselfish labor of patriots.
The local and district boards have
scored an unprecedented triumph and
earned the undying gratitude of the
nation. Their achievement is one of
the greatest successes of the war.
They have already sent into camp
more than million and half men.
They have already produced soldiers,
one man out of every six registrants
and the world stands in profound as
tonishment as it views this accom-
plishment
compensated poorly if att all, ex-
cept by the gratitude and affection of
their neighbors and of the nation at
large, the boards have labored in
cessantly through enervating heat Of
last GUNNER only to find a still great
er task awaiting their unceasing de-
votion throughout the rigors of the
following winter. Then having &C
complished the classification, they find
themselves confronted with the mobil-
ization of millions of men, and ac-
curately and promptly they have per-
formed and are performing this labor.
Much work yet remains. Today the
new men of 81 are being registered.
and must be speedily classified On
the first of next month the local and
district boards will be invested with |
the still further responsibility of pre-
venting idleness and Of unproductive
which is not effective to
the nation in the emergency. Some
boards will review their work and
those inequalities which have
been unavoidable in so tremendous an
1.-THE nation, however, with full con-
fidence in the men who have perform
ed those great tasks in the past will
face the future without foreboding.
The splendid work of our local and
district boards and of the other great
volunteer army of assistants has filled |
Us with admiration: They have been
tried and found true and so long as
this war may last our people are
happy in the complete assurance that |
his great organization will not fail !
he nation.
"CROWDER."