Daily Kennebec journal., 1918-01-04
NATIONS FIGHTING
Continued from Page one)

AVA l. xOAN ~ Il x0xx l. INV
Continued from Page One)
tons Of democracy and self-governmen,
have been based.
Analyzing the first draft. Gen. Crowdel
shows that 9,5s6,50S men between the ages
iof q and 81 years registered themselves
Up to late in December only 5S70 arrests
had been made of those who had sought
to evade registration, and OF that numbe,
2o63 were released after having register
ed, and there remain only 1885 cases to b:
prosecuted. The report declares that in
the final analysis of the records it will be
shown that only 00026 per cent. of the
men within draft age evade registration
A rough figure of So per CEN. is given
as the number OF registrants who failed
to appear when called by their Local
boards examinations. but Gen. Crowder
hastens to explain that most of these men
already are i'll Europe in the American
British and French armies. They did no;
await the draft processes in their eager
ness to get into action.
The final data will undoubtedly show :
Gen. Crowder added. that the number
of those who wilfullS- failed to appear 70,
examination when called is insignificant"
Over 100000 Examined
OF the total registration of 95S6,50S tbs
number called and examined was 3,0S2 $40
and of these 1867, 1868 were certified by the
boards for military service. Since the first
call was for only 6S7,0o0 men. lnere now
remain 37o,363 men awaiting summons to
the mobilization camps. OF all men ex-
amined 730,756, or 23.7 per cent, were re-
jected for physical reasons. That. it is
pointed out, shows an encouraging I'm
provement In the physical condition of the
young men of the nation since Civil War
days, for at that time the draft authori
ties rejected 80 per cent. Of all men called
on physical grounds.
70 Per Cent. Of Exemptions Granted
About one-half of all men called, or L.
560.570 claimed exemption. The claims OF
IS per cent. of these were granted, show
ing, in the opinion OF officials, that virtu.
ally few fraudulent claims were filed. O.
the exempted "A per cent. were relea sed
because Of dependent relatives. 20 per
cent because they claimed alien birth
and nationality, and only per cent or
vocational grounds. Less than l per cent
Of the exemptions were granted to relig-
ious objectors or to those morally UNFIT
The figures are 1887 exempted because OF
religious belief, their exemption extend.
Ing only to release from participating ir
actual combat: and 2C01 rejected for moral
unfitness. The majority of the latter were
convicts in prison.
Total Cost $5,211,e65
The total cost of the first draft, ex-
elusive OF the cost of the provost mar.
shall generals office here was $52l1.-
965. This amount has been refunded tC
the states by the federal government
1t represents an average cost of "a 9:
per man accepted for military service
and with the provost marshal gen.
erals expenses included s. per man
against cost of s24.4S per voluntar,
recruit in 1914: sl914 in 1915 and SIS. 9;
in the first nine months of 1917. Prio,
to the draft act. during the Civil war
the cost per man was about $34, anc
after the draft was enforced about
1894.
In discussing the future of the dra Fl
Gen. Crowder takes occasion to say
that the first duty is to provide al
adequate army. Economic considera
tions must beg regarded in selecting
the men, he SAYS. but not at the ex
pense of an efficient lighting force
Viewed beside the efforts Germany
and Austria have put forth to place
man power in the field, he adds, TT lit
lie becomes lis to emphasize above j.;
whisper as a substantial nationa
problem anything we have Yet beer
called upon to do
Striking Results of Draft
Tables accompanying Tie repur
show many striking results pf ths
draft. Taking the total of l,243. so
aliens registered. il is shown that o
the f51,ll3 aclled up for examination
'6,343 were certified for military serv
ice, having voluntarily waived thei
rights to exemption as aliens and il
effect volunteers for the battle for de
mocracy. Even of the 3S1 1853 exempt
ed, 40 per cent went ont on othe
grounds than their alien status. Their,
was evident some variation of prac
tlce among the states on The question
OF exemption Of married men A to
, tai of 1918 married men have bee,
, certified for service. In Mississippi
the board held IS per cent of the mar
, ried men called for service; in Wiscon
| sin and North Dakota only eight pc
cent We're held. After further study o
the results il is expected efforts will
be made to unity the practice o
} boards more closely in this regard
Montana Fewest Exemption Claims
Montana lead among the states i,
the number OF men called VINO flee
no claim for exemption. Figures 70,
that state show that 50 per cent O
men called up were ready 10 so to tn,
front Kentucky had The creates
> number Of exemption claims. 5. PEI
cent of all men called hlir" affidavits
The average number Of claims was 4,
per cent.
Cancel iproor MAJ