The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922, July 13, 1917, Image 6

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

    THE SEMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE. NORTH PLATTE. NEBRASKA.
WILSON GIVES OUT
S
FOR
President Insists on Equality in
the New Army.
BE FEARLESS AND IMPARTIAL
Admonition to Exemption Boards
Asks Greatest Impartiality and
Least Personal Hardship
Each Case on Its Merits.
Wellington, D. 0. Humiliations to
govern the next step toward selecting
a national war nriny from tin; mil
lions registered for service on June fi.
were Issued at the direction of Presi
dent Wilson. They leave to be pro
scribed later the manner of determin
ing the order of liability of the men
registered, but Hot forth In great de
tail the method of arriving at exemp
tion and the work generally of the
local and district boards already
named to carry out the task.
Exemption regulations add little to
f.he terms of the draft law, the ques
tion of whether a man between the
nges of twenty-one and thirty Is en
titled to exemption because of depend
ents, the nnture of his occupation or
physical unfitness being for the boards
to decide after proper Investigation. It
Is made clear, however, that there are
to bo no class exemptions and that
each Individual case must be decided
upon Its merits. The locnl boards
one for ench county of less than 45,
000 population or city of JiO.000. with
additional boards where necessary for
each additional 80,000 population will
miss upon claims for exemption, ex
cept those based upon Industrial or
agricultural occupation, subject to np
peals to the district boards. All
cases Involving agricultural or Indus
trial exemptions will be passed upon
by the district bonrtls one for each
federal Judicial district which also
will decide appeals from decisions of
the local boards.
To Fix Date for Board Meetings.
In the near future a date will be set
by Brig. Oen. Crowder, provost marshal-general,
for the meeting and or
ganization of the hoards. At the same
time It Is expected thnt the selection
regulations will be promulgated so
that the process may be put under way
without delay. The present Intention
la to call the men selected to the col
ors about September 1.
In a statement accompanying the an
nouncement of the regulations, the
president called upon the boards to do
their work fenrlessly and Impartially
and to remember that "our armies at
tho front will be strengthened and sus
tained If they bo composed of men freo
from any sense of Injustice In their
inodo of selection."
All Forces on Equal Footing.
Tho statement follows:
"The regulations which I nm today
causing to be promulgated, pursuant to
tho direction of the selective service
law, cover the remaining steps of tho
plan for calling Into the service of the
United Htates qualified men from
thoso who have registered; those se
lected ns the result of this process to
constitute, with tho regular army, the
National guard and the navy, the light
ing forces of the nation, all of which
forces are under the terms of the law
pluced In a position of equal right,
dignity and responsibility with tho
members of all other military forces.
, "Tho regulations have been drawn
with a view to tho needs and circum
stances of the whohs country and pro
vldo n system which it Is expected will
work with tho least Inequality and per
sonal hardship. Any system of select
ing men of military service, whether
voluntary or Involuntary In Its opera
tion, neccssnrlly selects some men to
bear tho burden of donger and sacri
fice for tho whole nation. Tho system
here provided places ail men of mili
tary ago upon an oven piano, and then,
by a selection which neither favors the
one nor penalizes the other, calls upon
tho requisite number for service.
Urges Boards to Act Impartially.
"The successful operation of this
law nnd of these regulations depends
necessarily upon tho loyalty, patriotism
and Justice of the members of the
boards to whom Its operation Is com
mitted, and I admonish every member
of every local board and of every dis
trict board of review that their duty
to their country requires an Impartial
nnd fearlesH performance of the doll
cnto nnd difficult duties Intrusted to
them. They should remember as to
each Individual caso presented to them
that they arc called upon to adjudicate
the most sacred rights of the Individ
ual and to preserve untarnished the
honor of the nation,
"Our armies at the front will be
strengthened nnd sustained If they be
composed of men free from nny sense
of Injustice In the modo of selection,
and they will bo Inspired to loftier ef
forts In belinlf of n country In which
the citizens called upon to perform
high public functions perforin them
with Justice, fearlessness nnd Impar
tlallty."
Methods of Making the Draft.
Upon organizing the local boards
will tnko over from tho registration
boards "nil registration cnrdH, which
they will number serially and list for
posting1 to public vlow. Then, nftor
having been advised of the method by
which the order of liability for Bervlce
shall bo determined nnd of tho quota
to bo drawn from Its territory (minus
credits for enlistments In tho National
Guard or regular army), each board
jvlll prepare p list of pereonB deslgnnt-
";:.:;!
$' MEN WHO ARE EXEMPT
Officers of United States,
states, territories and District of
Columbia.
Ministers of religion and stu
dents of divinity.
Porsons In military or naval
service of United States.
Subjects of Germany and all
aliens who have not taken out
first papers.
County or municipal officers.
Customhouse, clerks and work
men In arsenals and navy yards.
Pilots, merchant marine sail
ors. Married men with dependent
wives or children.
Sons of dependent widows,
sons of dependent, aged or In
firm parents, or brothers of de
pendent orphans under sixteen
years of age.
Men morally deficient.
Members of recognized relig
ious 6cct existing prior to May
10, 1017, whose creed forbids
participation In war.
ed for service In the order of their lia
bility, post the list, give It to the press,
and within three days send notice to
each designated porson by mall.
As the men so notified nppenr the
boards first will make a physical ox
amlnalion In accordance with special
regulations to be provided, bearing In
mind that all persons accepted by them
will lie re-oxamlned by army surgeons.
If the physical examination Is passed
successfully, then comes the question
of exemption.
Those Entitled to Exemption.
Persons who must be exempted or
discharged by the local board Include:
Olllccrs of the United States, of the
states, territories and the District of
Columbia j ministers of religion, stu
dents of divinity, persons In the mili
tary or nuval service of tho United
Stntes, subjects of Germany, all other
aliens who have not taken out first
papers, county or municipal ofllcers,
customhouse clerks, workmen In fed
eral armories, arsenals and navy
yards, persons In the federal service
designated by the president for ex
emption, pilots, merchant marine sail
ors, those with a status with respect
to dependents which renders their ex
clusion desirable (a married man with
dependent wife or child, son of a de
pendent widow, son of dependent, aged
or infirm parent, or brother of depend
ent orphan child under sixteen years
of age), those found morally deficient,
and any member of any well-recog-nlzed
religious sect existing May 18,
1017, whoso creed forbids participation
In war and whose religious convictions
accord with the creed.
Man or Wife May Make Claim.
Claims for exemption because of de
pendents may hq made by tho man
himself, his wlfo or other dependents,
or by a third party who has personally
investigated the case. A claim made
by (he husband must be accompanied
by supporting affidavits signed by the
wife and by tho head of n family re
siding In the same territory. A claim
by the wife or a third party must be
accompanied by two supporting iifilda-
vlts signed by heads of families. Sim
ilar rules govern claims on the grounds
of other dependents when the depend
ents or third parties being authorized
to fllo claims with supporting nflldavlts.
In each case the board must he satis
fied before It grants exemption or dis
charge that the dependent or depend
ents actually are supported mainly by
mo fruits of the man's mental or phys
ical labor.
Local boards are required, subject to
appeal, to pass upon claims for exemp
tion or discharge within three, days af
ter the tiling of utlldnvlts.
Must Decide In Five Days.
District boards must decide appeal
cases within five days after the closing
of proofs and their decisions are flnnl.
If the ruling of a local board Is af
firmed the person In question stands
finally accepted for military service.
In passing on clnlms for exemption
on the ground of employment In neces
sary Industrial and agricultural occu
pations the district boards must bo con
Ylnced that the particular enterprise
affording such employment nctunlly Is
necessary to the maintenance of the
military establishment of national In
terest during the emergency.
"The evhlenco must also establish,"
tho "regulations say, "even If Hie par
ticular 'Industrial enterprise or particu
lar agricultural enterprise Is found ncc
I'SNiir.v for one of the above purposes,
that the continuance of such person
therein Is necessary to the maintenance
thereof mid that ho cannot be replaced
by another person without direct, sub
stantial material loss and detriment to
tho adequate and effective operation of
the particular industrial enterprise or
agricultural enterprise In which ho Is
engaged.
May Designate Certain Industries.
Later tho president may from time
to time designate certain Industries or
classes of Industries that are necessary
and the district boards will be bo no
tified. It will be the duty of ench
hoard, however, to ascertain the nvall-
able labor supply for such Industries
outside the men called for military
service ana to tnko tho result Into con
slderiitlon in determining such things.
"If, In the opinion of tho district
board," this section of the regulations
concludes, "the direct, substantial, ma
torlal loss to any such Industrial or ag
rlculturiil enterprise- outweighs tho loss
that would result from failure to ob
tnln tho military servlco of uuy such
person, a certificate of discharge may
be Issued to blm X X X,"
Certificates of exemption will not
necessarily bo permanent. They may
bo rovoked with changing conditions,
or may bo granted only for prescribed
perigds.
si V JL ... if in T'TTii V: .1r. 75 iWiWaiJ ;jwKww?
1 French ofllcer nnd bis dog both wearing gas masks while crossing a dangerous zone near the C'heinln-des-Dames.
2 Stretcher bearers taking n practice case Into Columbia war hospital, the first one built in the United
States. 8 Sidney D. Wnlden, former president of a big niotorcnr company, who Is giving nil his time and knowl
edge to aid the aircraft production board. 4 Chinese troops likely to bo Involved In another civil war; they are
doing the goosestep taught them by their German drlllmnsters before the war.
NEWS REVIEW OF
THE PAST WEEK
Kerensky Leads Russia's Army
in Renewed Offensive on
, Galician Front.
CHEERING NEWS FOR ALLIES
Work of German Spies In America Re
sulted in Futile Submarine Attack
on Pershing's Transports At
tempt to Restore Manchu
Empire in China.
By EDWARD W. PICKARD.
Second In Importance only to tho ar
rival of the American army In France,
In the eyes of tho allies, Is the suc
cessful resumption of the offensive .by
the troops of the Itusslan republic. Led
by the lion-hearted Kerensky himself,
the Muscovite, soldiers on Sunday bo
gan a llerce attack on tho Austro-Ger-man
lines In eastern Gallcla near
IJrzeznny. In the llrst two days the
Hussions drove the enemy out of n
trlplo line of trenches' and captured
tho town of Konluchy and 18,300 men,
this great number of prisoners Indi
cating a breakdown of tho morale of
the Teutonic troops. Tho lighting con
tinued all week nnd tho losses on both
sides were very heavy. The wonder
fully efficient work of the Itusslan nr-
tlllcry In the preparatory bombard
ment shows this arm of tho service Is
better equipped than ever before,
Lemberg Is the Immediate objective
of this llusslnn advance, and at the
same time an attack Is In progress
further north which threatens Kovel.
While vast Importance attaches to
the result of this battle, It Is the re
newed willingness and even desire of
the Itusslan troops to tight the Teutons
that Is most cheering to the allies. The
army at least on that front now Is well
In hand and Is better supplied with
munitions than nt any previous time.
All the regiments that took part In the
lighting of Sunday and Monday have
been officially designated "18th of Juno
regiments," that belnp tho old style
date. Korensky's presence Inspired
the men to almost unanimous ac
tion, tho few laggards being punished
by being removed from tho ranks and
sent home.
General Scott, American chief of
staff, was fortunate enough to be at
the front and to witness the Itusslan
attack from a vantage point.
A by-product of the successful Rus
sian offensive was tho granting by Km
peror Charles of Austria of amnesty
to all civilians convicted of high trea
son and other offensives. This attempt
of the emperor to win all parties to
the support of tho government, It Is
predicted, will not succeed for the
Czechs especially nro still obdurate,
and the opposition Is becoming strong
er dally.
Work of German Spies In America.
With the safe arrival In France last
week of the last transports of the
American expeditionary force, carrying
tho horses nnd niuniunlllon, tho gov
ernment let It be known that the previ
ous sections, carrying the troops, were
twice nttneked by German submarines.
The U-boats were drlvon off before
they could do any damage, and at
least one of them was sunk by gun
lire. The successful combating of these
attacks enhances the feat of the navy
In transporting the expedition without
loss, but the fact that the submarines
waylaid tho transports far outside the
war zone lias aroused the authorities
at Washington to the truth that Ger
man spies In this country must have
told llerlln when the expedition was
to sail and by what route. Secretary
Daniels and Admiral llenson wore tho
only persons, supposedly, who knew
tho route selected. Admiral Gleaves
sailing with sealed orders which he
did not open until he was out several
days. When the expedition was well
on Its way a wireless was sent to Ad
miral Sims, In command In European
waters, to pick up the transports at a
specified rendezvous outside the war
zone. This mossngo was In the navy's
most secret and recently revised code.
Many persons on the Atlantic senboard
knew when the vessels sailed, and that
Information presumably was sent tho
Berlin by n German agent by wireless
In some roundabout way, but how the
route was discovered seems to be u
mystery.
President Wilson hns given orders
that the Germnn spy system be wiped
out before any more troops sail, and
many a Teuton Is likely to be Interned
for the period of the war. Until now
the government hns been unexplnlna
bly lenient In Its treatment of Ger
mans and their sympathizers, hi the
country generally and In the city of
Washington. We are not at war, offi
cially, with Austria-Hungary, Bulgnrlu
and Turkey, and the diplomatic repre
sentatives and agents of these coun
tries are still free to serve their nlly
In any way they can. The Germnn
press of America also Is" still unmo
lested nnd continues Its sinister cam
paign against the successful conduct
of the war. In view of the confiden
tial Information from their Washing
ton correspondents available to the
Germnn-Amerlcnn editors, and despite
their protestntlons of loyalty to Amer
ica, It is not beyond the bounds of
reason that some of these editors
should be doing spy work for the
kaiser, to whose cause they have
shown themselves devoted.
Germun plotters and their friends
also are credited by the government
with devising nnd In part executing a
plan to cripple shipping on the Great
Lukes by sinking or disabling vessels.
The federal ofllcinls, aided by those of
Canada, nre getting after these mis
creants. Having received their munitions,
General Pershing's . troops were
promptly moved forward to their ln
te. slve training camps back of the
fighting lines, where they can hear
the roar of the great guns. Tho olll
clal review of one battalion wns the
chief feature of the Fourth of July cel
ebration in Paris, and the people of
that city went wild with enthusiasm
over the American fighters.
British Again Advance.
Field Marshal Halg again swatted
tho Germans on Thursday, beginning
a resumption of the offensive In Bel
glum, where there hnd been compara
tive quiet for a week. The British
made a considerable advance south
west of Hollebeko.
Tho Germans mnde a tremendous at
tack on the French lines east of Cerny
Tuesday, but were repulsed by Petaln's
men with grcnt slougbter. While
they were demoralized by this defeat
the French made a clever counter-attack,
capturing a stong salient.
Another slump In the number of U
boat victims was shown In the weekly
report of the British admiralty, and
the naval ollkials of the allies are con
vinced that tho submarine warfare
has flilled. The Germans are sending
their U-boats far afield, 0110 of them
having shelled Pontn Delgnda, a city
In the Azores. An American trans
port helped drive the submarine away.
On Wednesday a dozen or more Ger
man air raiders appeared over Har
wich, a seaport In Essex and dropped
ninny bombs, killing 11 persons. They
were driven off with gunfire and air
planes, and two of them were brought
down ablaze.
German Unrest Increases.
.On the ove of the meeting of the
relchstug Its committees were told by
spokesmen for various groups that
further proffers of peace such as Ger
many is willing, even anxious, to grant
will lie harmful and that all the um
pire can do is to hold out and mean
time "democratize" the country; that
it might have peace this summer If
It were willing to abandon all annexa
tions and Indemnities ami to drop Hie
Idea of a separate peace with Ittissln ;
and that the pence formula of the
Itusslan council of deputies wns Im
possible. The so-called democratizing
of tho empire, It appears, will take
tho form of reforming tho franchise
so far as the relchstag Is concerned,
which means mighty little so long as
tho German senate, composed of ap
pointed members, has full control over
tho lower house, and there Is no cabi
net responsible to tho parliament.
Meanwhile unrest . Is Increasing
throughout Germuny, displaying Itself
In food riots In Stettin, Dusseldortt
and other cities, and In other forms
elsewhere. Even some of the "Intel
lectuals," like Professor "Dolbrueek,
Privy Councilor llurnuck uud others,
have issued a call for governmental
reform in Prussin. The pan-Germans,
save for a few of the most rabid, are
singing smaller day by day.
Serious riots occurred In Amster
dam Inst week In which armed women
raided the market places. These dis
turbances were due to the exportation
of potatoes to England, to which the
government is committed under agree
ments to preserve its trade relations
with both Germany and the entente
nations.
Preparations for speedy participa
tion In the war occupied Venizelos and
his government In Greece lust week.
The premier has declared that the
treaty with Serbia, disregarded by Con
stantino, shnll be faithfully executed.
Senate Discusses Taxes and Food.
The revised war tax bill was report
ed to the sennte on Tuesdny. As It
stands. It will raise a revenue of $1,
070,000,000 a reduction of $130,000,
000 from the house bill. The tax on
war profits was Increased so ns to
raise 523,000,000. The discussion of
the food control bill continued In the
sennte, the prohibition forces refusing
to accept the plan of eliminating the
provision for the commandeering of
the existing supply of whisky for the
manufacture of ammunition. The
Southern senntors, characteristically,
rushed to the defense of cotton, to pre
vent Its Inclusion among the articles
to be controlled.
The combnt between the council of
nationnl defense and certain senntors
nnd representatives who have not dis
tinguished themselves by broad-mindedness
and patriotism, Is deplored by
those who desire to see the war needs
of the country supplied In the quickest
nnd best way. Accusations or hints of
proilteerlng against members of the
council, unsupported by fncts, are foot
less and gain little sympathy from per
sons of Intelligence. It Is n pity that
so many of our national representa
tives nre too petty to be able to grasp
n great occasion.
China Going Backward?
While ifiost of the civilized world Is
bnttllng for the security of democracy,
the republic of China, which never
was a real republic, Is about to relapse
Into its old state of monarchy. Out of
the tangle of circumstances in the Ori
ent hns come n new revolution which
alms to restore the young Manchu em
peror, Hsunn Tung, to the throne ho
abdicated. With the guidance and
support of Gen. Chang Hsun, the youth
has established himself In the palace
at Peking nnd Is In a fair way to gain
control of north Chlnn. President Ll
Yuan Hung took refuge In the Japan
ese embassy and ordered the vice
president to assume tho presidency
and establish tho government tempo
rarily at Nanking. This was done,
Baron Feng Kwo Chnng being nnmed
president. Both sides have assembled
large forces, and tho lutest advices In
dicate war will break out at any mo
ment. The general opinion is that Gen.
Chnng llsun Is endeavoring to set up
a dictatorship, using the young em
peror as a cotspnw. So far Japan
seems Inclined not to Interfere In this
Chinese embroglio.
Shocking Riots In East St. Louis.
East St. Louis, 111., wrote itself on
the roll of disgrace and dishonor last
week with race riots In which more
than 100 negroes were butchered and
the negro quarter of tho city was
burned. Several white men met death
In the rlotiug. The National Guard
was called to suppress the grave disor
der, bt met with little success, and
the brutal murders continued day af
ter day. Thousands of negroes have
fled from the city. Superficially, the
cause of the riots was tho Importation
from the South of great numbers of
negroes to work in the packing plants
and other Industrial concerns, but the
real cause lies deeper, In the disgrace
fully corrupt political mismanagement
of the city for many years.
The decent citizens of East St. Louis,
have handed together to redeem the
place, and already have forced the
mayor to dismiss the chief of police,
the lire marshal and other oflichils.
Death took two prominent men lust
week. Sir Herbert Beerbohin Tree,
the eminent British nctor, died in Lon
don, nnd Wllllani II. Moody, former
attorney general and former associate
Justice of the Supreme court of the
United States, passed away at hU
home in Massachusetts,
BAN PUT OH LIQUORS
STRONG DRINK GIVEN JOLT BY
UNITED STATES SENATE.
BEER AND WINE ESCAPE
President Given Power to CommandecH
Bonded Goods. Prohibit Sale
and Manufacture of Such.
Washington. The sennte by ntu
overwhelming vote wont on record fn
favor of "bono dry" national prohibi
tion (luring the war, so far as whiskey;
and other distilled beverages are coftj
corned. '
Liquor legislation wns written Into'
the food control bill In one of the sen
ate's bitterest contests, which would
strike at consumption of distilled In
toxicants by commnndeeiing stocks lu
bond In addition to prohibiting their
manufacture or Importation. The beer
and wine Industries would be left un
disturbed. In lieu of the section of the houso
bill to prohibit the manufacture ot
foodstuffs into beverages of any de
scription, the senate substituted, by a
vote of 45 to 37, n provision prohibit
ing tho manufacture or sale of distil
led beverages dining the war, and ad
ded, 03 ta 12, a further clause direct
ing the president to take over all'
distilled spirits In government bonded
warehouses nnd pay for It on tho
basis of cost, plus 10 per cent. Whllo',
tho final prohibition legislation will
be evolved In conference between the
two houses, It Is generally regarded as
possible that the house will accept tho
senate's change after a light in bchulf,
of the original section. The senate's
action promises indefinite delay In en
acting the war tax bill, further delay
on the food control bill, and indefinite
postponement on adjournment of con
gress. The revised 91,070.000.000 wax
tax bill was withdrawn Immediately,'
following the final vote upon tho
liquor question to seek new sources of
revenue in case taxation on dstilled
liquors is eliminated.
Distillers who have from 200.000.000
to 300,000,000 gallon of brandies and
whiskies on hand, are expected to
take out their bonded stock In order
to avoid the double tax, which tho
finance committeo of the sennte pro
poses to put on all distilled liquors
remaining In bond when the war
revenue mensure becomes a law
August 15.
Germany Receiving Supplies.
Washington. An oflicial report just
made to the American government
showing the extent to which Sweden'
is furnishing supplies to Germany, re
veals that the central powers are re
ceiving enormous quantities of mate-'
rials that go directly Into the manu
facture of munitions. In exporting
Iron ore to Germnny, Sweden, it is
shown, hns supplanted shipments with .
imports from the United States. What!
this government will do to end this
trade through operation of the export
control net has not been announced,
but some of the allies, It Is known,
are urging the United States to li
cense no food exports to Sweden un
til n definite understanding has been
readied witli the Swedisli government
concerning its exports to Germnny.
Men Told to Be Ready.
Washington. Provost Marshal Gen
eral Crowder has Issued a circular
notifying the registered men to hold
themselves In readiness for appear
ance before the boards which will
conduct examinations and consider
exemptions. How or when the govern
ment will select the men to be exam
ined Is not detailed in the circular,
but It Is revealed that registration
cards In each county or city jurisdic
tion nre to bo numbered with red Ink
nnd thnt ""as soon as the drawing Is
complete lists will be shvn in the
press nnd will be posted at the ofllco
of each locnl board."
London Bombarded From Air.
London. The second descent upon
London by a squadron of airplanes
was mnde July 7, when the business
section of the metropolis was most
crowded.
Although the Germnn contingent
was larger, than on the visit of June
13. the number of killed and woundrd
was but one third ns mnny. Thirty
seven persons were killed and 141 In
jured, it wns officially announced.
Export Law Into Effect July 15.
Washington. Government control of
American exports, authorised in a pro
vision of the espoinnge net, was or
dered put Into operation July Ifi by
President Wilson with the Issii'anco
of a proclamation requiring the- li
censing of shipments to all countries
of the most Important export com
modities. Conspired Against England.
San Francisco. Cnl. Preparations
for war with England were being
made In the United States by German
ngents and Hindu agitators more than
n year prior to the outbreak of tho
European war, according to a state
ment made here by United States Dis
trict Attorney John W. Preston.
Tills assertion wns In connection
with the filing of 130 Indictments In
the United Stntes court here In con
nection with the nlleged violation of
American neutrality.
4