Newspapers / Wilmington Morning Star (Wilmington, … / Jan. 4, 1918, edition 1 / Page 1
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THE WEATHER Fair, continued cold Friday; Saturday fair, not so cold. j 1 1 X, 1 , 1 y I d '-W' It Y v Jl vir j Associated Press: ,, , v VOL. CI-NO. 104. BERLIN AND VIENNA PERTURBED BY THE BOLSHEVIK REFUSAL German and Austrian Emperors - Get Busy and Send Ministers , Back to Brest-Litovsk RUSSIANS MAY FPGHT AGAIN Trotzkv. Bolsheviki Foreign Min- . istr, Brands the German Terms Hypocritical HE TALKS OF HOSTILITIES Infantry Still Virtually Inactive on Western Front I (Associates! Press War Summary). The virtual collapse of the ne gotiations between the central i powers and the Russian Bolshe viki for peace and the possibility that hostilities again may be re sinned by the Russians on the east ern front, even though with only a comparatively mall army, have caused surprise and perturbation in Berlin and Vienna. . V . Emperors Get Busy. j Realizing the seriousness of the sit uation, the German and Austrian em perors have conferred at .length with j their cmeis or stall and tne tjenan and Austro-Hungarian foreign minis ters who attended the peace negotia tions at -Brest-Litovsk have been, sent tack there post-haste, probably for the purpose of attempting to moderate the situation. - -- JJ," .Not alone are Leon Trotzky, Bolshe vik foreign minister, and the leaders of the eouiter-revolutrSn in Russia ut terly dissatisfied with the terms of the peace proposals of the central powers, tut the heads of the German socialist factions also have volubly expressed their antagonism to those sections of them which call for the retention of Poland. Lithuania, Courland and other territory now in the possession oT the invaders. . Calls Terms Hypocritical. Trotzkr. as the mouthpiece of the Bolsheviki, has announced in unmis takable terms that the Russian work ers will not accept the peace proposals which he terms "hypocritical." He as serted that if the central powers did not agree to the free destiny of fte Polish and Lettish nations it would be urgently necessary to defend the Rus sian revolution. The central commit tee of the council of workmen's and soldiers' delegates in a resolution ap proved Trotzky's stand-. Apparently adding to the 'crisis is the refusal. of the Germans to transfer the adjourned meeting of the peace conference from Brest-Litovsk to Stockholm. ( Austrian Loan Kails, i The financial situation in Hungary seemingly is not what it once was. for the seventh war loan, from which it was expected eight billion kronen would be realized, brotfgTit forth onls three billion kronen. According to re ports the greater part, of the amount subscribed was forced from the lead ing banks, the populace generally tak ing only an insignificant portion of it. Infantry Virtually Inactive, i On the battlefronts the infantry con tinues virtually inactive, but bombard ments of considerable proportions are taking place on various sectors in Bel gium. France and Italy"Nothing of im portance has occurred on the Italian front since the driving of the enemy from the western bank of the Piave at the Zenson loop gave the Italians full control of the right bank of the stream. . i - Austro-German airmen are' keeping 'ip their raids on Italian open towns, he latest of which to be bontSarded being Caster Franco Veneto, wheref two hospitals were hit and 18 patients kill ed. : " Compulsory Rationing. a plan that has been formulated ty the British food controller is given the sanction of the cabinet, compulsory rationing shortly will be put' into ef fect in England to prevent wastage and conserve food supplies. The food controller arnnoTTnced that there would ontinue to be a shortage in food, but that the situation would I improve steadily. He particularly referred to weat, of which he declared there would be a great shortage during the next few weeks, after which," he said, the Position would improve considerably. 'There is nothing alarming in the. situation." said Lord Rhondda In mak 'nk known his Intention of placing the subject of rationing before the cabinet. You have only to tighten your belt. -I'tropie or tms country are unaer !ing nothing like the privations in ' uermany. There they have less than a Pound of meat a week." i I . : i. explorer stefan s sen and ' 1 party at herschel island uawson, Y. T.. Jan. 3. Vilhjalmur e-anssen is at Herschel island and pects to reach Nome, Alaska, next funnier, according to 'reports reaching ere frora Fort yukon Alaska,; The ntVfe party was reported in good "ealth. . 'A northwest mounted police winter "' Jt-tl neve today with mans lor to connect with a simi- Herschel island. The will .-return here - In j.uu aeuius oi. iue -jesuivs p-iirol frnl ''"trol Probaily GIVES STATEMENT OF T Over an Eighth of Army Supplies - Purchased From Firms Rep resented on Committee nmJ but eise; explains Senator Chamberlain Plansu to Intro duce a Bill Today Providing for v-'aTew Cabinet Member as Sec retary of Munition. TVashington, Jan. 3. In further in vestigation of clothing and other arm, supply contarcts negotiated by the civ ilian supplies committee of the council of national defense, the senate mili tary committee today received from Charles Eisenman, vice-chairman of the contracting committee, a statement of merchandise bought from firms whose members or employes are or were connected with the committee. Of supplies worth about $800,000,000 bought during the last eight months, Mr. Eisenman' s statement discloses that $128,830,000 worth came from such con cerns, but that all except $14,830,064 worth Hvas contracted for before the contractor's representatives became connected with the committees. Before presenting the statement ask ed for by Senator McKellar yesterday, Eisenman, in concluding his testimony, staunchly defended the committee's work, upheld the policy of secrecy in advance of letting contracts and again insisted that- the .men given the much discussed scrap sorting contract woula have, been limited to a nominal profit. Members ; of the military committee tonight were prepared to launch legis lation,: the first, results of the inquiry. Senator Charflberlain plans to introduce tomorrow' a bill to create a new cabinet member, known as the secretary of munitions, to have complete charge of all war material purchasing. It Is promised virtually unanimous commit tee support. Another bill which Sena tor McKellar plans to Introduce tomor row as a result of the investigation, would amend the national defense act creating the council of defense, so as to abolish all civilian advisory commit tees and prohibit the council members or their agents from being directly or Indirectly Interested jln supply con tracts. The committees already have been abolished, but some of their mem bers are serving the departments as expert advisers. Nine firms were named In Mr. Eisen man's statement as being among those who . had .received army supply oroers from the committee and whose repre sentatives served with the committee. Of - the approximately $4,000,000 con tracts given the Cleveland "vTorsted Company, of which Mr. Eisenman is a stockholder, it was stated that only $612,700 were negotiated after the sup plies committee was formed. During his explanation of the com mittee's work, Eisenman again vigor ously resented what he termed ques tions impugning his motives and in sulting and clashed- with Senators Weeks and McKellar. Testimony supporting Eisenman's contentions that the quality of army clothing had not' been lowered by his cloth orders for use of more reworked wool, or shoddy, in the cloth, was given by Michael E. Driscoll, an expert wool manufacturer of Raritan, N. J., . (Continued On Page Two) GOODS BOUGH HOOVER FINISHES TESTIMONY BEFORE SENATE COMMITTEE Washington, Jan. 3.-r-Examination of Food Administrator Hoover was com pleted today by the' senate committee Investigating the sugar and coal short ages after Chairman Reed and Mr. Hoover had enlivened the proceedings with a clash that had been expected since the inquiry started. Yesterday when Hoover took the stand, Senator Reed, a critic of the food administrator since the begin ning of his work, yielded the task of questioning to Senator Lodge and the examination progressed very .smooth ly. Today, however, the chairman went into cross-examination himself : most vigorously. He attacked the policies of the food administration: said Hoov er, had usurped powers in handling the wheat situation and sought to develop that sugar price agreements were made to benefit eastern refiners. Mr. Hoover's replies were as. sharp as the questions.- The wheat situation, he said, was handled with the approv al of President Wilson and the farm ers now were getting more for their wheat while flpur was selling for less. He warmly denied ail of the chair man's charges and said the food ad ministration would save the people on sugar alone between three-and nve million dollars In the year beginning October .1. . Senator Jones, of New, Mexico, ques tioning, the witness about support given- the food r administration by ' the pountry-' draw a, rippl ot . appla-use WILMINGTON, SUFFRAGISTS ARE m HEARING ; Pr ; Arguments in Behalf of .ue Proposed Amendment to - the Constitution WILL HEAR ANTIS TODAY Mrs. Dudley, of Nashville, Tells the House Committee That the "Ne sro Phantom" Has Outlived Its Time Submits Figures. Washington, Jan. 3. Arguments by. officials ' of the national American woman suffrage association occupied all of the first day's hearing by the house suffrage committee on the con stitutional amendment resolution which the House has agreed to consid er next Thursday. Opponents of the measure, who., confined their efforts today to circulation at the capital of a statement by Mrs. James W. Wads worth, Jr., will be heard tomorrow and representatives of the woman's party will make their statements .Saturday. Dr. Anna Howard Shaw; honorary president, and Mrs. Carrie Ghapman Catt, president of the suffrage associ ation, were the principal speakers to day. They vigorously opposed a sug gestion by Representative Clark of Florida that before congress acts the question be submitted tea vote of the women of the" country, declaring that this method was illegal and unneces sary and would put congress in the position of saying that it recognized women's right to vote but had propos ed the most difficult method . of having that right registered. . . Mrs. G-uilford, Dudley, of Nashville, president of the Tennessee equal suf-; frage association and member of the executive board of the national wom an suffrage association, urged adoption of the amendment. I wonder if you have any concep tion .of the intense feeling of . humili ation southern women experience when they discover that the greatest opposition to the submission, of our Federal Suffrage amendment to the States comes from Southern represent tatlves ln congress?'! " she said. "They have wlthh'eld "out enfran chisement for two reasom which we for a time accepted the states rights doctrine and the negro problem. From the states right , ground of opposition the southern men have themselves re treated -and we now stand face to face with ' this - fare, and ugly alternative; either our men feel they cannot trust us with the ballot, or we must feel that we cannot trust their sense of justice." Mrs. Dudley . declared the negro phantom has outlived its time. In the 15 southern states the excess of white women alone over 21 years of age above all negro men and women o like age, is 1,122,477, she said. "Furthermore, during the past year alone . 75.00& negroes have ;- left ; one southern state to go north, and 73, 000 have gone from three others. In view of this fact, it appears that we I might transfer a share of our rather hysterical anxieties with regard to the menace of the negro" vote to other states," Mrs. Dudley declared. BIG PRICE IS ASKED FOR SHORTSTOP ROGER HORNSBY St. Louis, Mo., Jan. 3. -President Branch Rickey of the St. Louis Nation als in discussing reports that he might sell Roger Hornsby, his star shortstop, to the Chicago or New York National league clubs, today said: "It will be safe to say that Hornsby will play with St. Louis next season." :. Rickey said he might consider the sale of Hornsby to the New York Na tionals for cash and Players' Fletcher, Burns. Kauff and Schupp. He said he had told President Weeghman the Chi cago Nationals could have Hornsby for 5100,000 and Players Alexander and Vaughn. . from spectators in the committee room by a brusque' retort when Chairman Reed interrupted. . " When Mr. Hoover left the stand the committee heard a -.statement on the coal situation in Ohio by Joseph Mc Ghee, attorney geenral of . that state. The people are are still suffering for want of coal, he said, adding that Jhe thought ' the situation would improve under government operation of rail roads. 1 s Tomorrow the committee will return the sugar inquiry and hear Frank C. Lowery, secretary of the Federal Re fining. Company. TWO CARS OF CO A Li ARE CARRIED OFF BY MOB Hundreds of Citizens. Rich - and Poor, White and Black, Raid . Yard at Newport News, Va. Newport, " News, Va., Jan. 3. Hun dreds of citizens, rich and poor, wfilte and blick. today raided the Chesa peake &' Ohio coal yards, taking away two carloads of coal In small quanti ties. Railway officials were' unable to stop the "invaders and it was not until military police were called to the scene that the people were driven off. There was no excitement, no noise or commotion of any kind.' . Grim-faced and determined men ' went quietly into the yards, unheeding the orders of watchmen to halt v and helped i them selves to all the coal they could t:arry away in sacks. v GIV C, FRIDAY "MORNING, Costs Dearly to Wish That the Kaiser Would Lick President Wilson Muskogee, - Okla.; Jan. 3. Jim Newson, of 'Garvin Okla., was rush fed, to the federal jail here today by Deputy United States Marshal Stam per ,who had been advised that a mob was forming to attack Newson for uttering a statement in which, he is alleged to have said: ' "It would tickle me to death to see the kaiser whip the president of the United States." Newson was given a hearing be fore a United States commissioner at Hugo, "who fixed his' bond at $1,000. Being un-Vble to furnish it. Newson was .brought here.. L WILL MOVE GOAL Producers Given Instructions for Relieving the Shortage in NewJEngland 700 CARS TO MIDDLE WEST Weather Makes It Impossible to Yet Move a Quarter Million Tons of Anthracite Tied Up In New. - Jersey Terminals. Washington, Jan. 3. Fuel shortages in various parts of the country were given attention today by the fuel ad ministration. Further measures were taken to speed the movement of coal to New England" and 700 . cars of bi tuminous were ordered diverted from the West Virginia fields to relieve dis tress in Ohio, Michigan- and Ken tucky. Producers supplying New England were directed to . make up solid .trains of twenty-five cars of coal daily -for routing, over the Boston & Maine, rail road, now somewhat, free of .conges- tion: The. New Haven, too, according' J to- reports to -tht f u idministrati! is clearing' its tracks and mines were advised to ship as much afe possible over. Its lines. Shipments over the Boston & Maine will be alternated be tween Boston and towns in the inter ior. Rough weather still is interfer ing with water shipments to New Engr land through New York and Philadel phia. The coal diverted to the Middle West was a part of a large amount taken from the Kanawha fields. Congestion ip eastern terminals had made it in advisable to move it toward the sea board. Little of the 250,000 tons of anthra cite coal held, in New Jersey terminals for rhipment to New York city can be moved, it was said tonight, until the weather moderates. Chicago consumers .who protested by telegraph, today , against reports that shipments of smokeless coal to Chicago were to be cut. off were in formed this was not true, but that on account of the transportation situation it would be necessary for them to get their coal from mines nearer home than heretofore. A telegram sent to them tonight said: . . "This action Is, necessary in the present emergency to provide coal for government requirements and to as sist the railroads in increasing their facilities by reducing cross-hauls and long hauls as much, as possible." 150 COTTON MILLS WILL BE CLOSED FOk A DAY Fuel Shortage and Low Watef lh Streams Curtail Current From Southern Power. Co. Plants. Charlotte, Jan. 3. Approximately 150 cotton mills in the Piedmont section of North and South Carolina will be closed down from noon tomorrow until Mon day morning on accunt .of fuel short age and low water in the streams ol the section fromr 'which the hydro-electric power furnished " them by the Southern Power Company is developed, according- -to. .official .announcement from the offices of- the company" here late today. . .The company's own- plants will not close down nor will any indus try other than cotton milling be af fected, , according to the companys statement, which .also says that there will be no curtailment in the municipal lighting systems in the Carolinas which are supplied by the company It is pointed, out that . only one' ful! day will be lost by the cotton mills, as they close from noon' Saturday until Monday "morningunder noriril.! condi tions. The mill .commuTTITTe"s will-. o supplied with-light a usual. The fact that' the streams of the sec tion are. frozen. is a factor in the short age of waterp6wer,and it is the hope of the company that milder weather between T: now and - Monday -will; relieve the situation to- a great extent both b melting the ice 'in' the-streams and by melting the snow which covers' the see-tlon.-The-actio nof ;the Southern-Power company was vtaken "following commu nication with the mills involved. It is stated, r.and - most - of -them .agreed to close for a day, realizing the situation existing. ',-.-.'. ''.''-' SCHOOLS WILL; NOT OPEN : , AGAIN UNTIL FEBRUARY Greenville, S. C, , Jan. 3. The date for. the opening of city public schools following the Christmas . holidays was today advanced to Feb. 4, one month later than the original time set, on ac count of the shortage of coaL The action was taken by the board of trus tees today when . It was learned that hardly more than a ; day's , supply, .of coal and very little wood was la tht citar. . IN SOLID I JANUARY 4, 1918 WAR EFFORTS ARE TO BE SPEEDED UP Baker Discusses Plans for Getting a Great Army Overseas as Soon as Possible PUT FORTH EVERY ENERGY There Will Be No Change In General Plan of Training Soldiers May Re organize Quartermaster's De. partment. Washington, Jan. 3. Recommenda tion of the American war mission that troops be sent to France as rapidly as possible will not result in any change in the general plan of training, the j soldiers in the United States. This was made plain today by Secretary Baker in a general discussion of the efforts of the war department to promptly carry out the mission's sug gestions. Every possible energy will be devo ted to speeding up production of mu nitions and equipment and this with the agreement of the allies to furnish the necessary ships and equipment is expected to result in the dispatch of the armies' abroad much sooner than was at first thought possible. Neither ships nor heavy artillery for any great force would be available on this side of the Atlantic for some time. Efforts to speed up the ordnance bu reau's work were reflected in Secre tary Baker's announcement of the re organization of the bureau with ex perienced business men at the head of the several divisions which will have charge of the general work. Reorganization of the quartermas ter's department under Major Genenl uoetnais, acting quartermaster gener al, along the line obtaining some years ago wnen tnere was a commissary general and a paymaster general also has been suggested. General Goe thals is said to favor this plan and in this connection it is understood that Major General James A.'. Aleshire, the former paymaster general, and hisras- ."' ue"fraI c- A- D - sistant. Major General C. A. Devol, will Opportunity for changes in the de partment, it is pointed out. will b-2 given soon by the retirement, on their own applications, of Brigadier Gener als A. L. Smith and Thomas Cruz, as sistants to the quartermaster gener al. ' - - ' ' .' " " Steps to increase the efficiency of the army, machine also have been ta en by the newly created war council of the war department. These are derstood to Include approval of a plan whereby the most efficient officers will be placed in charge of the more im portant 'work in their departments with removal of any officer regarded by his immediate, chief as unsuited for the duties he is performing. RED CROSS GETS MESSAGE FROM THE .ATLANTIC FLEET Washington, Janl 3. The Red Cross today announced receipt of this mesT sage from the men of the Atlantic fleet: ' "The. men of the fleet send New Year's greetings to the Red Cross and thanks for Christmas gifts received!" To this message was added one from the. fleet ..commander-in-chief 'express ing his appreciation of -the work of the Red Cfoss for the sailors, which, he said, could' not help but add to the "determination "of everyone in the ser vice to do his utmost to protect those at home by bringing this war to a suc cessful ' conclusion." Tesreau Signs Up. New York Jan. 3. The New York National league club announced today that Charles M. .Tesreau, veteran pitch er of the team, had signed a contract for 1918. Tesreau is the first major league player to sign a 191S contract. CITY SHIVERS WHILE COAL SUPPL Y BECOMES SHORTER New York, Jan. 3s With the temper ature hovering around zero for the sixth successive day, New York Avas confronted tonight with a fuel short age that took on added menace every hour "as the waters surrounding the city became coated more deeply with ice. Dozens of coal laden barges are ice bound on their Why from New Jersey terminals with many thousands of tons of fuel. Fuel . Administrators and transportation officials made determin ed efforts to assemble a fleet of power-fill-tugs which could be 'used as ice breakers, and Mayor Hylan also order ed ,that fire and police boats be-used for ;-this purpose. 'Twenty schools 'were . closed today because of lack of fuel and 15 others because of frozen water pipes. Hos pitals' and other Institutions are at the end of their coal supplies. - . . The poor, In the tenement; district are suffering acutely. Mayor Hylan gave a hearing In : his; office - 6t 200 persons, mostly." women,' who told pitiful tales of suffering because of inability. to obtain fuel.': In addition to'naming a special fuel -eommittee, the mayor ordered that wood collected at city dumps be set aside for , the.poor . to carry-to their homes. The weather .bureau could give no hope of reUef from the intense cold. It was said the temperature probably would go to zero tonigTit and that the ,cold f would continue tomorrow witlxia - - . - all men in future army drafts will comefroM(lMsi TELLS OF Chief Constructor Ferris, of the Shipping Board, Testifies Before Committee MAKES SOME CRITICISMS Says International Corporation's Slow Start On Fabricating N Steel Plant Will Delay Delivery of Ves sels..' Washington, Jan. 3. -A slow start made by the American International Corporation in construction of one of the government's fabricating steel shipyards at Hog Island, Pa., will make it almost impossible , for the yard to deliver vessels on schedule time, Theo; dore E. Farris, chief constructor for the shipping boar'd, . today told the senate commerce committee investi gating the progress of shipbuilding. The other two fabricating plants one at Newark -Bay : and the other at Chester, Pa. should be able to pro duce, ships as fast as .their contracts call for, Mr. Farris said.' : The ship building program generally, .he said, is proceeding about as well as might have been expected Delays in wood- en construction he blamed on a short age of the proper , timber sizes. Mr. Farris told of changes; made In tne aesign ior woo.aen- snips, wmcn ; it is charged have caused delay and ! aeciarea tney were maae wun me ap proval but not at his, suggestion. He did not .think they' were necessary, he, said, but-he .pprOVd-thH -hecaueer of the demand .Irprn:: inatny 'quarters. The American International" Corpor ation's contracts call for first deliver ies in September; 1918. The Company will do well, Mr. -Ferris said,-if it. de livers any sltfps at' all-durihg the year Once it has' got a 'startrjhowever, ships will be produced ' rapfiliy. he said; Mr. Farris' criticised . the shipping board's decision toi let -contracts for DELAYS PROGRAM IN SHIP un-Lfltting out' wooden ships , to a large number of" concerns ;and' declared that all-should be fitted out with engines and other equipment "at one or two places each on, the west coast, in the east and in the south. That, he said, would speed up the work. . . . Profiteering housebuilders seeking high rentals for houses in the neigh borhood of shipyards were denounced by Meyer Bloomfteld. head f the ship ping board's industrial service sec tion, another .witness. -Mr. Bloomfleld said the shipyard, labor shortage could be traced in large measure to poor housing facilities and. lack of transpor tation for workmen. ".He advised legis lation empowering the. shipping board to commandeer housing and to en force better, train service. . BAYOXNE, J., WORKERS, TO HAVE $300,000 CLUBilOt'SE New York,- Jan. 3. A-s $300,000 cluo house for the industrial workers of Bayonne, N. J., will be ' erected with funds provided--by John D. Rockefeller, Jr., and the manufacturers of that city, the international committee' of the Young Men's Christian- Association -announced here -tonight. Mr. Rockefel ler's subscription was $100,000. Provi sion will be made in-the building for welfare work and 'community center activities. high north wind. - The highest temper ature today was 9 above zero. NO REAL RELIEF FROM THE COLD IS YET IN SIGHT Washington, "Jan. 3. While it will be "not so cold Saturday," real relief from the cold wave which has gripped the east and ' southeast for nearly a week Is not now In sight. Continued cold tomorrow was predicted tonight by the weather buTeau and Forecaster Frankenfleld said there would be only a very slight moderation' Saturday. Gales along the Atlantic coast from Hatteras to Eastport added to the dis comfort in immediate seaboard sec tions. Acute coal - shortages causing suffering in many sections were, accen tuated by freezing of harbors, prevent ing movement of coal laden vessels. Temperatures over the . eastern part of the country were' officially announce ed as from 20 to 30 degrees below the seasonal average with" the mercury four below zero at Albany. which, ap peared as the coldesi city in the coun try 'today.' A.t "New York It was 4 above; in Boston 8 above, and in Wash ington, 9 above. .The low ' tempera tures, extended Into the far. South with 30 above at Savannah and 36 at Jack sonville, f- .' '--r ' . In the lake region!-and Ohio valley temperatures had moderate- somewhat, the 'mercury standing at '20 above at Chicago. : - -. Opening Postponed. Winston-Salem, Janr-3 Salem Col lege and the -city -public schools have postponed, the openings after the, holi days for one week because' of the scar city of coal. ' f WHQLE NUMBER 39,281 Will be Men Without Dependents and Unskilled in1 Work Ne , cessary to the War I v .;' . . M .i .; i . ; I l' - NEW REGISTRATION LIKELY Crowder Urges Amendment to In , elude Those Becoming Twen- r ty-One Since June 5 HAVE. BEENi FEW EVASIONS Provost Marshal General. Reviews Workings of Draft I Washington,' Jan: 3. All men for the wararmies still to be raised by ' the United j States will come from Class 1 under the new selec tive service plan. That means the ! nation s fighting is to be done by j; young men without families depen dent upon their labor for support and unskilled in necessary indus trial or agricultural work.1 - , ,' Sufficient Number in Class I. I ,-. Provost : Marshal General' Crowder; announces the new policy In an ex-j haustiye .report upon the' operation of the selective draft law submitted to-: day - to Secretary Raker ; and; sent to congress. H6 says Class 1 should pro vide men for all j military needs of the country and to . " - : accomplish that ob ject 'urges- amendment of the draft la'wo as to provide that all men who have rfeacbed their' twenty-first birth dayf slhee 'Z une 'K in'T,' shall be reqirfT- ed to register for Olasslfication. Also in; the interest Of If air distribution bf the military burden, he proposes that the quotas of states or districts be de termined hereafter on the basis of the number of men In Class 1 and not upon population.; .:. : Available figures -indicate, ! the re port says, that there are 1,000.000 phys- . ically- and 'otherwise qualified men un der the present (registration who will be found in Class 1 when-all question naires have been returned and the classification period ends February lb'; To this the- extension of registration to men turning 'SI since June 5 of last , year, and , thereafter : will add 700,000 effective men a year. ', ; Those Who Ate Included. Class 1 - comprises: - ' ; Single men.' without dependent rel atives, ; married ;men who have habit ually failed to support their! families, who are dependent upon wives for support or not usefully engaged, aftd whose families are supported by in comes independent' of i their labor; un skilled farm laborers,' unskilled indus trial 'laborers, registrants . by .or ' in respect of whom no deferred classifi cation is claimed ior made, registrants who fail to submit questionnaries and dn respect of whom no deferred, classi fication is claimed or made, and all registrants not; included in any other division Of the . schedule. - . . Narrowed down under the analysis of the first draft made in the report the plan places: upon ' unattached sin gle men and' married men with inde pendent incomesj most of the weight of, military duty.1 for f the aggregate number of mem in . the -other divisions of Class 1 is very small. - ! j ! Expectations Surpassed. " r. General, Crowder finds that the first draft surpassed the-, highest expecta tions of the friends of the selective service idea. He - pays high tribute, -not only to tKei thousands of oivilians . who have : given ungrudging service , in making th6 plan a success, but also ' to the high patriotism of the -American people as a whole. : '; -r. ,- r "At the president's call," he says, "all ranks of the nation, reluctantly entering the war, nevertheless instant ly responded to the first call of the nation with a 'Vigorous and unselfish, co-operation that submerged all Indi vidual interest In a single endeavor toward the consummation of the na tional task. I take it that -no" great national project was ever attempted with so conlplete a reliance upon the voluntary; co-opefatlon of citizens for its-execution. Certainly no such bur densome and sacrificial statute had ever before been 'executed without a ' great hierarchy, pt officials. "This law has-been administered civilians -whose official relation i lies only in necessary-powers with which . they are vested; by the president's des igaatlon of them to: perform the du- ties? that are .laid upon them. They have- accomplished , the task. Tht?y have made some mistakes. The sys tem offers i room for improvement. : Germany Otf era No Comparison. , -"But the great thing they were call ed upon to de they-have. done. The vaunted efficiency- of absolutism . of which the; German empire stands as the - avatar can offer, nothing to com pare with it. It remains that ultimate test and proof of -the intrinsic political idea upon... which American institu tions, of 'democracy and self-government have, been! based." . I v Analyzing the first draft. General; Crowder shows that 9,586,508 men be tween the ages of 21 and 31 years reg istered themselves. : Up to-late In De cember only- B.870 arrests ' had been made of those1 who had sought "to evade registration, and ot that number 2,263 were released after : having rer- ' istered and there remain only 2.095 cases' to be. prosecuted. The report . , tcootinued on Pe Two.) t ; t 't' . ' ?V .- r ; . , i . J -' Ir Si : M , I - -mm. : f: " "Mm 3V i ; i ' i '!.-'. ; 1, . ? if- . 1- ' . :tj . S , . XX - - X. ! mm . '" -.. i . - i . ; -' .m ; iU!i!:, --mm
Wilmington Morning Star (Wilmington, N.C.)
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Jan. 4, 1918, edition 1
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