Tombstone epitaph., 1918-06-02


 performers have been excepted from the new draft regulations at the di- rection of Secretary Baker. who is said to feel that the people cannot do with out all amusement !n war time and that other amusements could be dis pensed with more readily.
 Washington. May 23.-Every man of draft age must either work or figih after July l, under a drastic amend ment to the selective service regula- tions announced today by General Crowder. provost marshal general. Not only idlers, but all draft regis trants engaged in what are held to be nonuseful occupations are to be haled before local boards and given the choice of a new job or the army.
 Gamblers. race track and bucket shop attendants and fortune tellers head the list. but those who will be reached by the new regulation also in clude walters and bartenders, theater ushers and attendants, passenger ele- vator operators and other attendants of clubs. hotels. stores, etc. domestics and clerks in stores.
 Deferred classification granted on ac- count of dependents will be disregard ed entirely in applying the rule. A man may be at the bottom of class l, or even In class 1, but If he fails with in the regulation and refuses to take useful employment he will be given a new number in class l that will send him into the military service forthwith. Local boards are authorized to use dis cretion only where they find that en- forced change of employment would result in disproportionate hardship up- on his dependents.
 May Solve the Labor Problem.
 It has been known for some time that some form of "work or fight" plan has been submitted to President Wilson, but there has been no intimation that it was % far reaching in its scope. Both the military authorities and depart ment of labor officials believe that 1t will go . long way toward solving the labor problem for farmers. shIpbuild- srs and munitiOn makers and will end, for the present at least. talk of con scription of labor. The announcement today gives notice significantly that the list of nonuseful occupations will be ex- requires.
 The statement of the provost mar shal generals office is as follows:
 Provost Marshal General Crowder today announced an amendment to the selective service regulations which deals with the great question of com polling men not engaged in a useful occupation immediately to apply them- selves to some form of labor. contrib uting to the general good. The idler. too, will nnd himself confronted with the alternative of finding suitable en- plOyment or entering the army.
 This regulation provides that after July l. any registrant who Is found by . local board to be habituaI idIer or not engaged in some useful occupation shall be summoned before the board, given . chance to explain and. in the absence of . satisfactory explanation. to he Inducted into the military service of the United States.
 Any local board will he authorized to take action. whether it has an orig inal jurisdiction of the registrant or not in other words, any man ioafing around . poolroom fin Chicago may be held to answer to . Chicago board even though he may have registered in New York and lived there most of his life.
 The regulations which apply to idle reRistrsnts will be deemed to apply also to gamblers of all description and empIOyees, and attendants of bucket shops and race tracks. fortune tellers, clairvoyants. palmists and the like. who for the purpose of the regulations shall De considered as idlers.
 Nsw Rwss is Sweeping.
 ~The new regulation will also affect the following classes:
 "(a) Persons engaged in the serving Uf food and drink, ar either, in public places, Including hotels and social clubs.
 "(b) Psssenger elevator operators and attendanta, doormen, footmen and other attendants of clubs, hotels, stores. apartment houses, once build inU and bathhouseA
 "(c) Persons. including ushers and ether attendants. ensaged and 6ecu- paed b, hnd h connection with, eanes, Gports ard amusements, excepting actual perfoFmerD in legitimate coo-