Omaha daily bee., 1920-08-16
NAMES OF DRAFT
DESERTERS WILL
Be MADE PUBLIC
Offenders Who Have Thus Far
Escaped Apprehension Will
Be Brought to
Justice.

Although war activities tor the
United States ceased some time ago,
those men who deliberately evaded
military service and have not teen
apprehended up to the present time
are still to receive their punishment,
according to word received from the
War department information Sec
ton,
During the period-of active hos
tilities the government rounded up
many of these deserters, but because
other more pressing matters occu-
pied its time, special attention could
not be given to the running down OF
the comparatively small number OF
draft evaders. After the discontin-
uance of mobilization and induction
under the selective service law on
November II, 1918, consideration OF
the matter was taken up by the War
department. x
Instructions were issued TO local
draft boards to send to Washington
the records of all draft registrants
who were reported during the war
as draft deserters. Out of the
100000 records of men who had
registered. 4S9.003 were accordingly
sent to the War department. In
vestigation showed that most of
these were cases Of wilful desertion
173,ooo Wilful Offenders.
However, about 10000 of these
men whose records were turned in
by the draft boards had their cases
disposed Of during the war. This
left approximately $4,000 names y
be cared for, the records of Isl ,OGC
cf which showed that they could not
properly be charged with desertion
The remaining $4,000 registrants
have been shown to be wilful evad-
erS.
Out of the 24,OO0,000 men who
registered for the draft, only those
in this last class, 1891, to be ex-
act, are chargable with wilful de
sertion, or less than per cent ot
the total registration, which is I
considerable improvement over the
civil war draft record.
Il, order to bring about the ap-
pi ehension of these draft deserters
list of their names is to be pub,
lished by>N,e War department in the
near future Cooperation of state
and local officials. patriotic societies
and the Department Of Justice is
asked to bring the evaders to jus.
tice. Exact copies of the list oi
names, grouped by states. or other
convenient divisions, will be avail
able for postmasters, police stations
and other agencies
! Can Avoid Arrest.
The War department makes il
clear that before the list of desert
crs is published, any man charged
with draft desertior who wishes II
avoid humiliation or arrest may vol
unt7rily surrender at the nearest
army post in order that his case may
be investigated and his status def
nitely determined. This voluntary
surrender, however. will not reliev,
guilty parties of the consequence:
Pof their misconduct.
| w Illlt tHClC dlC lWC SldSSCS "
cvaders, it is only the draft deserter:
and not the draft deliuquents. whom
the war department is apprehendins
at the present time. Draft desert
ers are men who registered ant
who were ordered by the draf
authorities to report >for> military
duty at a specified time and place
but failed, to do so. TAey are sub
jet e to trial by court martial for thei'
Draft delinquents are ren who
were required by law to register
fut failed to register, or who, al
ti.our', they registered, ;arled to re
port for physical examipation or tt
return properly executed question
Inaires. Draft delinquetts have no
been inducted into the military serv
ice and consequently are not subjec
to trial by court martial. 1t is tn
duty of the department of justice t.
bring these offenders to punishment