The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1921-05-26
PUBLIC GETTING
STACKER LISTS
NAMES OF THOSE WHO DoDGED
THE DRAFT ARE PRINTED IN "a
SOME NEWSPAPERS. t
WAR DEPARTMENT. IS CAREFUL
Tries to Avoid Injustice Through Sim
iIarity Of Names-only Persons
Having Authority May Arrest Any
SIackers They Find. .Esga ,,s
ey EpwARp 3. CLARK.

BY EDWARD q. CLARK.
Washington.--It was not only during
the war that slackers and general
derelicts in the field of duty gave
trouble to the war department. The
department officials have been strug-
Cling for some time with what are
called the Stacker lists and it is onl!
now that they seem to have been able
to emerge from some of their dificul-
ties.
Throughout the United States today
in places the lists of the names or
men who lodged the draft are being
printed in the newspapers. Some pa
pers are printing them and some are
not printing them. The difficulty Is
that even yet there seems to be some
doubt in places as to whether or not
newspaper which prints the name
of supposed Stacker. but who proves
not. to have been one, is free from
the dangers Of being sued for libel. 4
It Is the intention of congress, so
it is said, to print the Stacker lists IN
the Congressional Record, and this.
some persons hold, will preclude the
possibility of any man, who feels that
he has been injured, recovering dam
ages. The Congressional Record con-
tains the official records Of the pro
ceedings of the congress of the un;-
ted States. Therefore, one opinion IS
that anything which appears therein
Is privileged material. ~ 2-.Es
Where Confusion May Arise. t.@1@ .
One trouble which will come to some
men who served their country well.
may arise from the fact that there
are good many men in the United
States of the same name. So 1t Is
that If John Smith in a certain local.
ity5 Is set down as a Stacker; it may
be that the people will think it is an
other John Smith. a man who served
his country we'll. 1t is understood that
an attempt will be made to avoid
trouble of this kind by giving the spe-
cific address of each Stacker, that Is.
the address which he gave at the time
Of the draft. g.. Z H.. r. IT,.
Army headquarters have explained
that certain rules governing the ar
rest Of slackers have been misunder-
stood by the public. 1t seems there
was an impression abroad that any
one could arrest a Stacker and that
$50 would be paid to the arresting
person for each duty dOdger that he
turned over to the. army officials. .,
Must Have Authority to Arrest.
The regulations actually provide, it
was stated at the war department.,
that the person arresting, q Stacker
may be- allowed the. actual expenses
incurred in delivering him over to the
army authorities, but that the person
who does tie arresting must 5have-ac-
tual authority to make the arrest:
Seemingly this brings It down to, the
proposition that only properly alr-
thorized person may make arrests. but
that everyone is expected, If he knows
the name and the whereabouts Of q
Stacker, ~ provide the information
and to do what he can TO help in land
ing him. sn. Il. a. ~ g.. le
1t is said that there are somewhere
about 10000 slackers scattered over
the United States. OF course some
Of the men who lodged their respon-
sibility have gone to other countries,
but this number is fairly negligible.
., Foreign Policy Crystallizing.
It looks today as If plans for
the Immediate foreign policy Of
the United States. as it relates to
the war and it's aftermath, are fairly
well crystallized. The United States
is Ito be represented at the meetings
Of the supreme council, the council
of ambassadors, and the reparattons
commission, oil Of which are bodies
representing the allies. .ls, II
The question today no longer Is as
to what form the representation OF
the United States on these bodies
shall take. The government is send
ing officials with power actually to
represent this country, to present It's
views and, under instructions, to act.
Gradually matters have developed
until the point has been reached
where it seems likely there will be
an immediate. clearing up of the
policy Of the administration concern
ing foreign affairs Of immediate mo-
mellt. There is still division Of
opinion in the United States senate
as to whether or not this government
should enter at all. into the councils
Of the allies, but it is apparent that
tile President and the secretary OF
state, and presumably the. other cab
met. officers also, have come to the
conclusion that majority Of the ma
tional legislators are willing that the
United States shall take part in the
process of clearing up the European
troubles and particularly of settling
the German reparations question.
Hardina's Intentions Becoming Clear.
Washington has been studying the
events which have led up to the pres
ent situation. 1t is certain now that the
United States is no longer to stan.
entirely aloof from the councils of the
allies and that it will take more or
less active hand in the European pro-
ceedings. During the campaign. Cans
Giidate Harding made speech which