New-York tribune., 1918-02-05
Marriages and the Draft
A Member of Local Board Protests
Baker Ruling
AWaa
To the Editor of The Tribune.

10 the Editor of The Tribune
Sir: As member of local board en-
gagged in the task of trying TO reconcile the
reluctance of registrants to serve their coun-
try with their obligation to do do so, ask
leave 20 protest agans. Secretary Bakers
ruling on the subject of marriages contract
ed since May 1a, 1917.
1t seems to me that his decision to over
rule the Interpretation of the Selective Ser
vice Regulations made by the District Board
Of New York City is most unfortunate and at
variance VITA truer sense of obligation
which the citizen owes to his country.
Under the constitution of the State of New
Y York, and of most of the states, all male per-
sons between the ages OF eighteen and forty
five compose the militia and IRE subject to
military duty The Presidut of the United
States or Congress has always had power to
employ the state militia in a national emer-
gency. One Of the earliest acts of Congress
provided for the national defence by estab-
fishing a uniform militia throughout the
United States by the enrolment of every free,
able bodied, white male citizen between the
ages of eighteen and forty-ive From the
tim he was able to read, therefore, every
American schoolboy who cared to know
whether he cared to know y or not-was
chargeabe, at least, with notice that in ma
tional emergency he was at certain ages
liable to military duty. And since Nav IS;
1914 every male citizen of the United States
between the ages of twenty-one and thirty
one years has known positively through the
newspapers and other channels of informa-
ton, that he has been drafted into the mill
tary service, subject to his privilege mot
necessarily right, if you please to show
cause, physical otherwise, why he should
be excused from the draft. Therefore, any
man VINO marrles at any time does so subject
TO the law that he may be drafted into the
militia il between the ages of eighteen and
forty-five years, and into the service of the
United States in national emergency at any
time by the President or Congress-
An Imperfect Sense of DUTY
Every man, therefore. between the spcci-
fled ages is and always has been a potential
soldier.
IL Is unfortunately true in my experience
as member of local board. and | presume
IN the experience of most members OF such
boards. that large percentage of those who
registered on June 5, 1917, in accordanee
with the Act of May 1s, 1917, have an imper-
feet sense of their obligation to the govern
ment of the United States
The mawkish sentimentalty which finds
expression in the song 81 Did Not Raise My
Boy to Be a Soldier" the reluctance of high
| ofhcials TO promote legislation establishing
universal military service the prevalence OF
the notion that the local boards exist prl-
marily for the purpose of exempting regis
trants from the draft, do not tend to i'm
prove this condition And now comes the
Secretary of War and opens another avenue
Tor the neglect of patriotic duty. The ruling,
besides, is unfair to thousands of young men
Iand their wives) now gladly in the service
OF their country, who have married since tns
declaration of war, as we'll as to others who
nave postponed their marriage previously
arranged, until the end of the emergency
why discriminate in favor of those whose
sense OF obligation is less strong? 1t is bad
enough to permit conscientious ohpectors
10 evade their obligation to the governments
no" we arc to have new set of objectors 70
De treated with tenderness beause their
matrimonial ardor exceeds their sense Of
onilgatiQn to their country. The ruling "
as likely to impair the institution of mar
rage through encouraging hasty, ill-cons'ds
erea matches, as to preserve it. 1t is uh-
fortunate, lll-timed, injudicious and unfaH
MEMBER OF A LOCAL BOARD.
New York, Jan. 81, 1918. ~