Evening journal., 1918-07-30
MILITARY SHIRKER
GETS 20 YEARTERM
lyoung Draft Evader, Mem
Der of Wealthy Family,
Sentenced at Dix
ENGINEERS START
TRENCn WARFARE

CAMP DIX, Wrightstown, n. j., July
30.-William o. James. member Of a
wealthy family OF St Louis, is the first
draft evader sentenced by court-msr-
tlal at Camp DIX. Thirty years at hard
labor in the military prison at Fort
Jay, with loss Of all pay and allow
ances and dishonorsble discharge from
the service at the END of his jail term
was the sentence OF the court, but be-
cause Of the youth of the prisoner, waio
is % year old Major General Scott re-
duced tre sentence to 90 years.
James failed to report 10 his draft
board at st. Louis on March d. On
March fl he was arrested at Engle-
wood, this State, for making treason
able statements and when Az was dis
covered that he was a draft evader he
was turned over to camp authorities.
He was first classed as a conscientious
obIector. but later told the officers he
had no religion. He would fight, he
told fellow-soldlers. for the Russian
Bolsheviki, but did not believe in this
war and. therefore, would not fight
for the United States.
II would Join revolution against
the United States II l thought ] could
gain thereby" James was charged
with having declared TO other sol
diers.
The sentence is the heaviest ever inn
.posed on a prisoner here and the fact
that It is the first conviction of a draft
evader is regarded as indication OF the
- - hondlo
the slackers who fail to report for SER
vice TO their draft boards as severely
as IL does those who desert after actu-
ally being mustered into the service.
American troops training here viii
have their FIRST experience today in
handling the one-pounders. the famous
infantry cannon" that have done such |
effective work for the French. when |
tile 347th Infantry OF the s7th Division |
will use the weapons In battle /
lmaneuver on the camp artillery range.
These weapons, with the exception OF
trench mortars, the heaviest ordnance
used by the infantry branches Of the
service, promise TO play an important
part In American activities on the other
side.
A lieutenant with three enlisted men
as assistants crept up the side OF
''Marne Hill yesterday. worked through
screen OF underbrush and up a gully
Formed by the rain until they faced
the barbed wire entanglements that
stretch along mo Mans Land" in front
of the front line trenches. The de-
tail carefully deposited a parcel under
the wire and then hurriedly withdrew.
A moment later there was a flash,
crash and big dust cloud rose over
the spot When IL cleared away gap
wide. enough TO march a squad through
Y y been torn in the entanglementes.
fhe demonstration was the curtain
raiser for a series OF similar exploits
in which engineers OF the 3i2th. COM
manded by Colonel Siattery. took up
work with dynamite and
other more powerful explosives in the
ieIAolition OF enemy works. other de-
.sils planted charges in dugouts and at
critical points in trenches and these
Qualifications were quickly shattered
The operations were continued over a
vide area on 1.-THE HILL" Later, in Or
fer that the engineers may gain prac-
ice at both ends OF the game, the
demolished yesterday will
,e reconstructed.