New-York tribune., 1918-08-15
Crowder Issues Call for
New Registration of
Youths for Army
Work or Fight Rule
Opposed by Gompers
Primaries Will Prevent List
ing of Men Under Pend
ing Bill on Sept. S

WASHINGTON. Aug. l4.-Reglstra-
ton on Saturday, August IA, of all
youths who have reached the age OF
twenty-one since the registration on
June S was ordered day by Provost
Marshal General Crowder under proc
lamation by the President. The pur-
pose is to add quickly to the almost
exhausted Glass l, to meet army draft
calls in September.
About 10000 young men will regis
ter Most of them will qualify for
Glass /, and therefore will join the
army probably within a month after
their names are recorded.
Organized labor's emphatic opposi-
ton to any "work or fight" provision
in the new man power bill extending
the draft ages is expressed in letter
from Samuel Gompers, president of the
to-day by members os the Senate Mill
tary Committee.
Telegraphic orders to local authori
ties to arrange for the registration
have already been distributed Presi-
dent Wilson'S proclamation eXcepts the
territories of Alaska, Hawaii and Porto
Rico from the registration temporarily,
but a later DAY will be fixed for these
1t was pointed out at the provost
registration would be distinct from the
registration that will be necessary
shortly when the draft ages are ex-
tended, and it also was announced the
suggested date, September 5, would
not be the day for the registration of
men from eighteen to forty-fve, even
if Congress passes the bill in time,
because several of the largest states
in the Union hold primary elections on
that day
Men Needed at Once
The provost marshal general has no
intention, it was said, of creating
registration dates for men reaching
twenty-one throughout the year. but
the present registration was made
necessary by the approaching deti-
cheney of man-power.
There will be no new drawing to es
tablish the order of liability of the
new registrants. The provost marshal
generals Office announced tonight
that the 1900 numbers drawn for the
June registrants would be sufficient
to cover the August "a registrants in
the largest district in the country.
Mr.. Gompers's letter referred particu-
larly to an amendment proposed by
Senator Thomas, of Colorado, proposing
to withdraw deferred classification
are absent from their work for more
than FIVE days without cause. The pro-
vision, as added to the bill yesterday
by committee, was a modification by
Senator Reed, of Missouri, eliminating
the five day limit
"In my judgment" Mr. Gompecs
wrote of the Thomas amendment, "no
measure could be enacted with more
injurious consequences to continuous
production than such a measure The
workmen in the United States are do
ing their full share of service and duty
They are whole heatedly supporting the
war programme; they are giving them
seves, their sons, their brothers and
other blood relations on the firing line
They are producing more per man and
more to the aggregate than any man or
group of men in any other country on
the face Of the globe.
Here and there may be one or a few
who may have failed to perform their
whole duty. but | submit sir, to your
serious consideration whether, if a
bill were enacted into law which all the
workers of our country would be justi-
fed as interpreting as reflection
upon their service and their loyalty,
IL would not create reaction most
unfavorable to our common purpose in
service and in winning the war.
In England, where the strenuous
law now obtains having provisions
which it is said it is the purpose to
offer for adoption by our Congress,
strikes, cessation ef work have oc-
Cured in many instances, more in
stances than exist IN the United States
at the present time.
Inc men OF labor sof our country
are carrying on their work with but
me slightest interruption anywhere
They are voluntarily surrenderinp
rights they have enjoyed under the
Constitution and the laws and the
spirit OF our country.
Il appeal TO you not to attempt tc
take by the force of law what the mer
are so generously and periodically vol
unteerng.