Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-01-17

DraftFor
Religion
PROJECTORS" HELD
Investigation Shows That
Comparatively Small Num-
Der of Strikers Have Been
Punished by Department

How many conscientious OBJ
iectors to war we're caught in the
dragnet of the draft?
Far fewer than most people
imagine.
Why are the few that were
grouped in that way attracting
just now more attention than any
other single class among the 3d.
$4,000 men that made up the
United States army when the
armistice was signed?
Because for the first time in the
history of this country political as
well as religious objections have
been officially recognized, and it is
political impetus, that is behind
the agitation now under way for
amnesty OF the G. O's. who have
gone to prison rather than yield
their stand.
The G. o. conscientious OBJ
jector) was never, of course, a
volunteer. He got into the army
through the draft. The war de-
partment has never made known
how many there were of him alto
gether, but Of the 1,057,363 &C
cepted for service from the first
registration, about 5000 were
listed as C. O's. The second draft
increased this by less than 1000.
Figures from LeavenwOrtll
The figures from Leavenworth,
printed in the New York World,
show the nature of the scruples
held by these men. They show,
too, why Secretary Baker last
month made use OF the phrase
political prisoners, which occa-
stoned sosInuch comment. The
distribution is as follows: - ..,.
Religious DIRECTORS -. .294
Non-religious DIRECTORS 1903
NOn-citiZenS .......... 100
The non-citizens include those
of German Or Austrian parentage
or descent who refused to fight
against their kin, as we'll as those
who alleged citizenship in enemy
or ally of enemy countries, but
could not prove their claims.
The religious DIRECTORS are
members OF sects whose creeds
are opposed to war, those whose
personal interpretations of other
creeds established such Opposi-
ton, and those who are opposed
to the taking Of an kind of life.
They are distributed as follows:
Mennonites, General Confer
ence ................... 90
Mcnno;rites, Amish ........ f6
DuDkGFuS 81
International Bible Students
Association (Russellites) Is
Church of God, Apostolic -. IL
Holiness Churches ........ 12
Seventh Day Adventists ..... IL
Church of Christ (Campbcllite) 12
Baptists ......... ....... IL
QuakefS y
MOlakcn 5
Roman Catholic ....... 4
House of David, Israelite -.
1LutncFan 4"
Free Methodist ........... 3
Free Missionary Association,
Methodist, Greek Catholic
and True Life, each. go. 2
Huttrien Brethren, Disciples of
Christ, United Peoples, Ply
mouth Brethren, Assembly
of God, Mission Church AS
ISOLATION, Episcopalian and
jew, eaci2 ..... L
Independent and miscellaneous
Officially the distribution Of the
non-religious DIRECTORS is:
Socialist, I. w. W., radical. 50
Humanitarian, agnostic, &c. 81
In the second group of this
classification there is an admitted,
! though undetermined, number,
not listed specifically as politicals
simply because they did not iden-
tify themselves as adherents of
some one of the radical groups.
Their scruples are of exactly the
same characte as these of the
men bracketed with them, and it
has been on behalf of this non
religious classification that the
dSltaLlOn 1Or amnesty Has pS0H
carried on.
Points Lost Sigh of.
In the course of this agitation
two very important matters have
been lost sight of. The first OF
these is that under the law con-
sideration could be given only to
those whose scruple against mil
itarJ service rested OH religious
grounds. That this consideration
was extended to political DIRECTORS
was entirely by. executive inter
probation of the law, not by leg
islation. The second il that ex-
emption for the director was not
from all military service, but only
from combataEt service.
Three Secretaries of
Y, NJ. c.. A, are Accused