Elbert County tribune and Elbert County banner., 1920-09-17

military service.
The creation OF the huge army
which was sent to the battlefields
abroad was the result OF the Selec-
tive Service Act of May 1s. 1917.
Although critics OF American in-
stitutions predicted that in the event
OF great war, the people of the u
nited States would fail to raise 70
the full heights of patriotism and
sci sacrifice in defense of their coun-
try, because OF selfish motives and
foreign influences, the War has
proven that the old American spirit
of sacrifice and service is not only
alive, but more widespread than eg-
erbefore.
During the period of active hos
tilities, the Government was assisted
by the various officials and agencies
in apprehending draft deserters a
small but constant stream of whom
were being delivered to posts. camps
and stations; but because of the fact
that those days were crowded with
special attention could not be given
during that time to the running
down of the comparatively small
number of draft deserters.
After the discontinuance on Nov
enber 11th, 1918. of mobilization
and induction under the Se1ective
Service Law, the War Department
began at once to consider the ques-
tion of the proper disposition to be
made of all those registrants classl-
fed by the draft authorities rs
draft deserters with a view to def
nitely settling their status and pun
ishing the guilty.
For this purpose instructions were
issued on December gard, 1918, to
the local draft boards to segergate
from the 24,000,000 records of draft
lregistrants, those of men reported
during the period of the war as draft
deserters. The shipment to Wash
ington of these records, amounting
to 4S9, ,003 began in March. 1919. In
yestigation showed that compare
lively small proportion of the near
ly half million men reported as draft
deserters could not be considered as
wilful offenders.
In the reduction of this number,
the following class of persons, num-
bering about 10000 men had their
cases disposed of during the War.
(a) Registrants who enlisted in
the Army. Navy or Marine Corps. but
failed to inform their local boards of
the fact.
OBJ Men who failed to report for
military duty, because of ignorance
II the Selective Service Act, but who
after learning of the seriousness of
the offense, reported to military
camps for service, and were restored
to duty, after satisfactorily showing
that their offense was not wilful.
(c) A small number of persons,
Nc during the progress of the war
were convicted of desertion, or dis
charged as physically unfit for serv-
ice.
(d) Registrants who died after
their induction orders were mailed.
Ct the ren aiming 325,00G names
the records of 151, 900 showed that
they could not properly be charged
with desertion, and the records of
173,00O registrants revealed that
they had been ordered to report for
military duty and wllfully failed.
Out of over 100000 registrants
the maximim number chargeable
with desertion is 1891; consider
ably less than one per cent of the
total registration. and tremendous
improvement over the draft record
of the Civil War. The War De-
partment in the near future. viii
Iai lish to the country a list Of pen
classified as wilful deserters. and de-
sires to obtain the cooperation of
the various State and local officials
patriotic societies and other agen-
cies. including the Department Of
Justice. in bringing about the ap-
prehension of these men. Assur-
ances of such cooperation have in
many cases already been given. Ex-
act copies of the list of names.
grouped by states. or other conven-
lent division will be available for
postmaster, police stations and other
agencies.
Pending publications of the list
of deserters. any man charged with
draft desertion who wishes to avoid
the humiliation of arrest may vol
UNFAIRLY surrender at the nearest