The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-03-09
Those who Dodged the Draft.

Men who wilfully or technically or
unintentionaly eyaded the draft did not
obtain absoiution when the war ended
comments the New Orleans States
lDem on Secretary Bakers order for
roundup of those who escaped mill
tary service against Germany by vio-
lating the selective service act "Those
whose record is not clear" the States
adds, will do well to prepare their de-
lenses. II they have any"
The war department. figures show
| that altogether 325, 1855 men violated the
draft law, at least in technical sense
| But 151,354 of these cases have been
! set aside as ''nonwilful, as II is shown
| that the men affected had already
| Joined the colors voluntarily or were
otherwise excusable. There remains
! 1891 cases classed as "wilful," and
| the government proposes to run them
| down. 1t seems like "a large number
but as the Buffalo Evening News (Rep.l
| points out considering the great num-
| Der of young Americans that were in
volved in the draft, the number of will
full slackers was comparatively small.
| Nor will that number stand" the News
goes on, for many youths so listed
found their way into the service with
out knowledge of their draft boards.
| The final count may show no more than
10000"
All of the names will be published
and thus innocent suspects Will have a
chance to clear themselves. Those who
fail to do so will be apprehended and
| court martaled. il possible. THE prose-
cutions viii emphasize a logged quality
of the federal government which has
given wrongdoers no end of grief" says
the Seattle Post Intelligencer lind.
Rep), and continues;
During the war the news dispatches
| contained reports from draft evaders'
colonies in Mexico from time to time.
When the armistice was signed
and II appeared that there would be no
more fighting these exiles drifted back
TO the country they would not defend.
They came back from Canada and from
| various places of concealment cheerfully
confident that their troubles were over.
| Their error lies in msjudging the gov
| ernmental memory. which is aided by
the permanent record in Washington,
The Philadelphia Press (Rep) sees a
danger that merely technical offenses
will be too severely punished
While it will doubtless be necessary
1t says, Ito impose impressive punish
ment on draft dodgers whose guilt is
ncontestably proved, it is to be hoped
and IT is highly probable, that those
who sit in judgment on the cases will
make all possible allowances for inno-
cent, If unexcusable, ignorance, as OPP
posed to malevolent sloth. 1t win also
be one of their immediate duties tc
clear of dishonor the names of those
l WHO uleu between the oates OF regis
tration and induction, and who were
enormously charged with deseTtion."
1t occurs to the Baltimore Sun-(Ind
| Dem.) to wonder 'if 40, 900 men should
l be jailed under these proceedings; Is
a there prison room enough to accom-.
, modate them?" and the Sun suggests
: that ''in view of the fact that many
| conscientious DIRECTORS were released
, from prison with a bonus and an apol.
ogy, it might be wiser to enter a gen
! eral non pros against these slackers.
= But with such a policy the Home Sec.
! tor, published, by A. E. F. men, has M
! sympathy: These men skulked Will,
others were suffering, and justice ant
respect for the law demand that the.
: he made to suffer now
4 Americas Closed ,Pocketbook
I "Pertinax,' the widely quoted write,
7 in the Echo dc Paris, comments bitterly
I on the recent statement of Secretary
= Glass concerning the policy of credits
to Europe. He declares that 9Th,
authorities at Washington miffed owe
: the nonsuccess of their IA points, hav,
echoed the threat previously made b!
. Ray Stannard Baker, head of thu
:, American press bureau at Paris, wheI
> he learned that Europe was likely t
:, repudiate the Wilson principles: WI
:. will withdraw our troops and our none!
q q and leave Europe to stew in her owl
: juice' The same tone is taken b,
! Jacques Bainville in the Royalist or
. : gan& faction Franchise: America,
. he says, ~"shuts her pocketbook ant
. abandons Europe-friends and enemies
), alike-to suffering and chaos"
: "A League to Keep the Diplo
: mats Quiet, +"
: The Neue Poster Journal, Budapest
y sees as many causes for war in TIL
conditions produced by the peac
; treaties as there were in 1914. let thu
u league of nations rather be a leagu
G to keep the diplomats quiet" it says
c 1.-THE people themselves have neve
: wanted war"
9 The same paper considers that tn