Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-09-26
3 SENTENCED IN WEEK


Many others have been sent.
enced 10 prison from Bay City and
Grand Rapids In the latter city
three members Of tho sect were
tried and convicted during tho
week. Cases against two co-rclig-
ionistS pended
Two Of the convicted men. Don
aid 3ouwkamp. y OF ComStock
Park. and August lIcrb>irciih 20
81 tinES. failed tn report az -
conscientious o b Jcctors camp
after having been given Tho same
opportunity 10 avoid participation
I'm armed conflict which Is &C.
corded 10 members Of other cults
opposed 70 war.-------
Federal juro, and Judges We're
~ first inclined ~ deal lcnicn'ly
with men who claimed draft cN-
emptton on The ground Of being
Jehovah Witnesses bur after
Pearl farbor thClr tlials bCcaTC
swift their punishment stern Re
Gently tho district court disposed
Of several cases IN matter Of
minutes
LITTLE CHANCE or ESCAPE
Member, of Jchoyah> VII
nc~>es said by Assistant I s
Atty Kenneth y Wilkins 20 con.
s'tutc The onlv organized oppo>l-
ton 10 compulsory military ~crt-
Ice which the government has on-
Counlered have little, If any
chance Of escaping conviction
once they are brouEh, 70 trial
"Only two ont of lis men
tried in Detroit for Violating the
SeleCtiVe Service Act have been
acquitted" ne said "ApprnNi-
mateIy 800 Niolators nf all sorts
are fugitiVes from Justice. the
objects ~ an unccaSing search
nv the Federal Bureau ~ In
Vestigation."
wilkins said that most 0f tho
jehovah Witnesses who violate
draft regulations DO so d0Gugr-
afely lie continued
at is the belief 81 most fed
erAl judges that such stubborn
refusal 10 comply with the law
constitutes a maximum often>e
and deserves the maximum
penalty.
FBI on THF TRAIL
'In 90 cases out 81 100 draft
eVaders are caught within q
year. \ special squad Of FBI
agents il constantly at work on
reports from draft boards. u
has the assistance Of city and
state law enforcement agcn-
cieS."
Since oct is. 1870 the date Of
the first draft registration. tho
Detroit office NJ the F'BI has
listed 0OO individuals rs doIn-
Quents In 4 200 cases. whore The
offcnScS were found not 10 be-
deliberate. the men received per
mission 10 enter tho armed forces
through the usual processes.
According 10 Wilkins domestic
difficulties were responsible for
most Of the cases IN which the
government found IL advisable 10
drop charges.
WOMEN ARE BLAMED
"In the days Of volunteer
armies II was said that behind
every soldier was n woman
said wilkins. 1T il now aNio-
matte that behind the draft
eVader u a woman. sometimes p
wife or sweetheart. often
mother"
Jehovah's Witnesses arc largely
under feminine influence. accord
ing 10 many observers. In Detroit
one Of the StronCholdS Of the cult
in prewar years. most Of the =
900 Witnesses who damned Com
vention Hall for a "Thcocrauc
Assembly in 1910. were women
The sect has been outlawed in
Canada whore IN had many fol-
lowers. In Britain IFS 1000 reg
iStered members are accorded the
status Of conscientious DIRECTORS
although some 400 who refused "a
engage in agricultural labor have
been Jailed.
a large group which once CX-
iSted in Germany fol- victim 10
Nazi persecution during the carly
days Of the N82lS.
fhvIe{moe Hoyde