Milford chronicle., 1921-05-20
WAR DEPARTMENT UPHOLDS
PUBLISHING OF SLACKERS' LISTS

Vigorously upholding the action of
the War Department in publishing the
names of men shown on the draft
lists as probable slackers, the Republi-
can Publicity Association says in q
statement issued today through the
President of the organization, Hon.
Jonathan Bourne, Jr.:
"The New York World leader of
the Democratic press, denounces the
Secretary of War for giving publicity
to the list of men subject to draft
who are now found to have been en-
listed or excused, and the World de-
clares that the Secretary presumes
the men to be guilty until proven in
nocent. Well, if so, the Secretary of |
War is fully justified. If man is !
summonded to jury duty and when |
his name is called he does not re-
spond, the judge issues a bench war
rant for his arrest. His failure to re-
spond is prima facie evidence of
guilt and the warrant of arrest will
be served and he will be punished
unless he can show that he was inno-
cent of disobeying the summons.
But the Secretary of War has not !
declared all these men guilty. He has
expressly declared that there may be [
errors IN the list, but that after MAX
ing every effort humanity possible, and \
after long delay in an endeayor to
eliminate any name enormously on
the list, he is unable to find that any
of the men named were improperly o
included. He asks those named. if n
improperly listed, to so report. This f,
is the best he could do. To fail to pub II
lish the list as he has now done, would ~
be derelictiOn of duty on the part n.
of the Secretary-a dereliction that w
would We very properly censored by -,
the American Legion and by all the e.
men who faithfully responded to their
call. Al
mo man whose name is improperly h.
included in the last can justly com m
plain. He is partly at fault, for the or
Department has made every possible of
effort to locate him. Instead of COM ha
planning, he should thank the Secre- of
ary of War for giving him the final
opportunity to get his name off the ab
ist of deserters. Oh
We can imagine that sometime a sn
BUSINESS man might have occasion to n,
,lslt his store late at night and while do
mere might be accOsted by a police no,
nan who threatened to arrest him &C,
nd would arrest him unless he could II
IDENTIFY himself and establish his ri,
ight to be in the store at an unseem- II
hour. In such event, should or I
Tould the owner of the store resent WI
he action of the officer and denounce odr
ne act as presuming him to be guilty 'N'
theft until he proved his innocence?
ot if he happened to be a business DR
ian of good sense. He would rather
lank the officer and say, 7 am glad
} have this assurance that you are [
gilant in the protection of my prop- has
'ty. On 'some other occasion a real of
lief may be here, and then I shall den
glad that you are on the job ing
That should and will be the atti- Sen
de Of any reasonable man who is and
properly included in the draft evad- He
S list. He will write the Secretary, Alto
OH were mistaken this time, thru D
fault Of yours, but I appreciate Dr.
ur Jealous effort to run down ev- He
unpatriotic resident of the United Med
ltes. I am thus assured that in case 1896
another war and another call to clan
MS, all citizens will be treated alike of S
that the deserter will be brought term
Justice Nati
The War Department has done its brac
duty and deserves the commenda- wide
OF the people of the United havil
tes." itics