Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-05-21
A YEAR OF SELECTIVE SERVICE-By Frederic ]. Haskn

previous calls, adjusted to population, and sent
Immediately by wire.
This office is entirely different from any other
branch of the war department. Instead of dealing
with COAL steel, explosives, ships and machinery
in terms of production and shipment, human be-
ings, every one of whom is efficient in some en-
ployment and useless in others, are the units TO
be considered. Instead of long and short tons,
General Crowder and his staff must think in such
terms as machinsts and farmers shipwrights and
dentists, carpenters and wireless operators. Not
only is the modern army highly specialized or
ganization, where the majority of men must be
skilled in other things than the handling of bomb
bayonet, but great care must be taken not TO,
dislocate the industries and farms which feed and
supply the army and provide the second line of
defense. Every effort is being made to fit the
right man in the right place and to take none
for military service who would be more valuable
in his work at home.
The Industrial agricultural and military cIas-
sfcation of registrants, which is being worked out
under the direction of General Crowder for this
purpose has been the of very annoying
misconception in the public mind. Hearing that
the government is classifying registrants, thou
sands of people whose relatives and friends have
left home and disappeared are writing to the pro-
vost marshal describing the lost in the be-
lief and expectation that Uncle Sam has him listed
and will Immediately forward his latest address
Every day hundreds of these letters are received
in Washington While the government has check
every registrant and will call him when his
services needed, draft headquarters were
never intended as detective agency for missing
relatives.
busy and interesting branch of the draft
office is the appeals division The whole Selective
service system is so organized that much author
ity is given the local boards, few individual
coming directly under the jurisdiction of the main
office. However, appeals to the president for de-
fered classification on grounds of engagement in
necessary industry or agriculture made through
the office of the provost marshal general. AL
Grady about 10000 of these appeals have been re-
ceived and half this number affirmed. Each
case requires careful individual study and atten-
ton.
Comparison of the working out of the draft
in the present and in the Civil war forms inter-
After two years of unsuccessful with the Con-
federacy the north decided to follow the example
set by the slave states and in March, 1853, the
CONSUMPTION act was passed by congress. Two
months were then consumed in building up
military machine to administer the law and enroll
to complete the registration, during which time
there we're serious riots due to the unfairness
of the law which permitted a rich man to buy
himself out of service by furnishing substitute.
Eighteen days after the passage of the selec-
tive service act of 1917 1000 local boards had
been appointed Between sunrise and sunset OF
the eighteenth day, June 5, 1917, practically
ages had registered for military service, the num-
Der totaling 9,5S6,5LS, equal to the entire popu-
lation of the Confederacy in 1861.
Napoleon thirsting for world conquest, mIIst
bear responsibility foI the system which makes
every man Of military age liable to military
ice In 1898 the first conscripton law passed
by France. Prussia took up the idea, introduce
pose of resisting French aggression. The system
has never lapsed in Prussia, and its Development
is generally regarded chief cause of the pres
ent struggle .--- .... - s.-.-..