USA > Wisconsin > The Wisconsin blue book 1919 > Part 33
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The Civil War experience had an effect upon all people who were con- sidering the draft in May, 1917. Inquiries came from Washington as to the possibility of any likelihood of disturbance or riots and any pos- sible need of the military forces. The federal authorities were at any rate going to be prepared for any emergency and the following in-
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structions were issued by the Secretary of War to the Department Commanders:
"Your telegram gives gratifying assurance that the execution of the Selective Service Law within your state will not be attended by any in- cident of resistance or disturbance of the public order which will call for the use of troops. In the unexpected event that a situation should arise which would demand the aid of any federal forces in addition to the military forces already under your command, the Secretary of War has caused appropriate instructions to be sent Department Commanders which are here quoted for your information: 'In view of the fact that the future drafting into federal service of the National Guard will strip states of forces on which they usually rely for maintenance of domestic peace and in view of possibility that situation may arise in connection with execution of the Selective Service Law in which the Governor of a state will feel urgent need for military forces to overcome obstructions to and suppress domestic disturbances which may arise in connection with execution of the law, Secretary of War directs you maintain relations of cordial cooperation with the Governors of the several states in your department and to respond to any call for mili- tary assistance from Governors for purposes here indicated which can be met by the use of any troops under your command available for such duty.' "
The Governor, in his proclamation following the preparation of the law, also took pains to tell the people of the state the penalties that would attach to any opposition to the law.
The Presidential proclamation, setting the date for the registration on June 5, was issued on May 18, 1917.
The Governor followed this with a Proclamation on the 23rd day of May, of which the most significant paragraphs, after the recital of the provisions of the law, are as follows:
"It will be observed that the penalties of the law are severe, and I hope that no man subject to registration will attempt to shirk his duty in this respect. There is no possible escape from it because those who may attempt to do so will be apprehended in course of time and will be obliged' to submit to the punishment provided by law.
"I call upon all citizens, patriotic bodies, county defense councils, and all other patriotic organizations, to give us their aid in making the registration a success. I suggest that every person who can do so make an effort to notify every man whom he knows to be of military age, reminding him of the fact that it is registration day, in order that he may not subject himself to the penalties of the law by reason of neglect or because of the fact that he had not received personal no- tice. If you have a friend who is forgetful, remind him that June 5, is the day upon which he must register.
"Our country is involved in a great war. The registration of our young men who are of military age is the first act by the government that makes us realize that we are engaged in war. No man can refuse his country's call, and I feel confident that the people of Wisconsin will respond without a murmur. They responded to the call of the country. in the wars of former days,-they will do so now.
"The President wishes us to understand that this is not a draft, but a selection. That to be drafted for military service under this law merely means that the person so drafted has been found physically fit to render service as a soldier, and is asked by the government to do what we would expect him to volunteer to do.
"I recommend to the citizens of the state that June 5 be made a mem- orable day in the history of the state of Wisconsin; that flags be dis- played on public buildings and private homes, and that those who go to the booth and register, with the expectation of rendering a service will receive the applause that is due a patriotic citizen.
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"The day should be known by an appropriate name, and I suggest to the people and to the press of the state that we refer to it as Duty Day. "Finally, I express the hope that the law and proclamation of the President will be complied with by all citizens who are subject to it, that the unpleasantness of inflicting punishment may be avoided, and that you will enable me to say to the President of the United States, at nine o'clock on the evening of June fifth, that Wisconsin stands ready to furnish her quota of soldiers to the nation."
Strenuous efforts were made through the Governor's office to advise mayors, sheriffs, and election officials of their specific duties in connec- tion with the registration to see that a plentiful supply of forms were distributed for not a very definitely known number of registrants and to provide for a prompt report. These steps were taken immediately from the time that word had come to this state from the office of the War Department.
Registration Day-Quiet, Orderly
Registration day came and passed without notable incident or even a ruffle in the orderly procedure of registration. In fact, there was less disturbance on June 5, 1917, than there is at a regular election. Over two hundred thousand citizens and residents of Wisconsin went to the election places on registration day and entered their names on the honor roll to be assigned to such military or other duty as the War Department should subsequently determine.
At nine o'clock in the evening of June 5 the places of registration closed.
A determined effort was made to make a report of the number regis- tered to Washington before morning. The telephone company, in re- sponse to plans previously made by Mr. Miller, Manager of the Madison district office, did extraordinarily well. At about four o'clock on Saturday morning, June 6, Mr. Miller carried over to the telegraph company the following telegram:
"Four o'clock A. M. All Wisconsin counties and cities have reported registration complete. Totals 218,700."
When on September 11, 1918, this registration was finally closed and no more men could register as of this registration-e. g. men who had been abroad-the number of registrants were 241,131.
The Services of Registrars A Patriotic Offer to the Nation
The War Department at this time wished to encourage gratuitous service in the administration of the Selective Service Law, but stood ready to compensate promptly necessary services that could not be secured gratuitously.
The Governor, under date of May 4, in a telegram designating Ad- jutant General Holway disbursing officer for the State of Wisconsin. wired:
"I am, however, pleased to advise you that this state will pay all expenses connected with registration and that no funds will be re- quired from the national government for that purpose."
For some considerable time at the beginning, it was felt that the Draft would, be only a matter of a few weeks and would require only a part of the time of members of Boards. Under the stimulus of this impression and of the general offering of services by citizens of the state, the Governor wired . the Provost Marshal General on June 7 as follows:
"The State of Wisconsin will complete the registration and conscrip- tion which is to follow without cost to the National Government."
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The registration did not cost the Federal Government a cent, but in view of the amount of work entailed, by the, selection and the necessity of keeping boards intact, Local Boards were permitted to make claims for the compensation in accordance with the disbursing regulations , of the Provost Marshal General.
2. ORGANIZING THE SELECTIVE MACHINERY
Registration Machinery must be , Modified
The plan of the federal authorities was to transform the registration machinery into the selective machinery with only slight modification. In the telegraphic instructions to the Governors of the states, dated May 26, it is also pointed out that the registration machinery would not do because it did not in all respects comply exactly with the legal provisions and the Governors of the states were directed "to create a system of Local Boards which shall be in precise accord with the law." Two steps were necessary in doing this, first, the designation of the jurisdictions of the Local Boards and, secondly, the nomination of the members of the Boards.
The Determination of the Number of Local Boards
Section 4 of the Selective Service Law provides:
"The President is hereby authorized, in his discretion, to create and establish throughout the several states and subdivisions thereof and in the territories and the District of Columbia Local Boards, and where, in his discretion, practicable and desirable, there shall be created and es- tablished one such Local Board in each county or similar subdivision in each state, and one for approximately each thirty thousand of population in each city of thirty thousand population or over, according to the last census taken."
The telegraphic instructions supplemented this legal provision as follows:
"It will be necessary to observe strictly the following rules: each city of over forty-five thousand must be divided into subdivisions con- taining approximately thirty thousand of the population. Each county whose population, exclusive of cities over thirty thousand population, exceeds forty-five thousand must be divided into subdivisions as con- taining approximately thirty thousand of the populations of such county."
1. One Local Board was designated in each of the following counties because the population was under forty-five thousand: Adams, Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Buffalo, Burnett, Calumet, Chippewa, Clark, Columbia, Crawford, Door, Dunn, Eau Claire, Florence, Forest, Grant, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Iron, Jackson, Jefferson, Juneau, Kewaunee, La Fayette, Langlade, Lincoln, Marinette, Marquette, Monroe, Oconto, Oneida, Ozaukee, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Portage, Price, Richland, Rusk, St. Croix, Sauk, Sawyer, Shawano, Taylor, Trempealeau, Vernon, Vilas, Walworth, Washburn, Washington, Waukesha, Waupaca, Waushara and Wood.
2. Two Local Boards were designated in each of the following coun- ties because the population exceeded forty-five thousand: Dodge, Fond du Lac, Manitowoc, Marathon, Outagamie, Rock and Sheboygan.
8. Local Boards were designated for cities having over thirty thousand and under forty-five thousand as follows: Green Bay, Kenosha, La Crosse, Madison and Oshkosh.
4. Two Local Boards were designated for cities having over 45,000 and not enough to warrant the appointment of three or more boards each as follows: Racine and Superior.
5. One Local Board was designated in county outside of city of 30,000
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or over, having at least one Local Board as follows: Brown, Douglas, Kenosha, La Crosse and Racine.
6. Two Local Boards were designated in counties outside of cities having Local Boards as follows: Dane and Milwaukee.
7. Fifteen Local Boards were designated in the city of Milwaukee.
The Jurisdiction of Local Boards
It was necessary, after determining the number of Local Boards in each county and city to set aside the jurisdiction of these, Boards. In making the necessary subdivisions, it was found that the assembly districts in each of the counties furnished us readily the subdivisions necessary and people were used to think in terms of these districts. Consequently, the jurisdiction of each of the Boards was designated ac- cordingly.
Selection of Members of Local Boards
The Selective Service Law provided for the organization and member- ship of Local Boards as follows:
"Such boards shall be appointed by the President, and shall consist of three or more members, none of whom shall be connected with the Military Establishment, to be chosen from among the local authorities of such subdivisions or from other citizens residing in the subdivision or area in which the respective board will have jurisdiction under the rules and regulations prescribed by the President."
The registration machinery was erected under great pressure and great haste and was made up entirely of county officers except in the large cities. It was felt that, while these county officers would make valuable members of a Selective Service Board, because of their knowl- edge of communities and because they had some degree of public con- fidence, having been elected to public office, it would be inadvisable to have these exemption boards made up entirely of political officers. It would be unfair to these members themselves to submit them to the amount of personal and political pressure that would naturally be exerted upon them. In view of the fact that the Governor was asked to nominate to the President the names of members of these Boards, authority was requested to increase the number so as to avoid any pos- sible criticism of these Boards as political-the Governor accepting responsibility for securing the result. Authority was requested to add to the three members of the board ex officio, four citizens living in the jurisdiction of the board.
The necessary authority was granted, and it is because of this act, that the Local Boards for the state of Wisconsin do not follow the pattern of three member boards, followed elsewhere throughout the United States, but consist of seven members.
It was quite a problem to find men within the short time allowed who had a high sense of duty and who could stand up under the burden that was about to be placed upon them. The Legislature was in session at this time The legislators were consulted as to desirable men in their various sections of the state. State officers and employes were like- wise consulted. The suggestions of one person were checked up. by an- other. A number of state officials were utilized in getting up this list, particularly Mr. J. B. Borden, then in the office of the Superintendent of Schools. After revision every night with the Governor, the lists were finally submitted to Washington and were approved as of June 21. The complete list of the members of these Boards, with the subsequent changes, is appended.
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The Duties of the Local Boards
The duties of the Local Boards as outlined in the Selective Service Law are as follows:
"Such Boards shall have power within their respective jurisdictions to hear and determine, subject to review as hereinafter provided, all questions of exemption under this act, and all questions of or claims for including or discharging individuals or classes of individuals from the selective draft, which shall be made under rules and regulations prescribed by the President, except any and every question or claim for including or excluding or discharging persons or classes of persons from the selective draft under the provisions of this act authorizing the President to exclude or discharge from the selective draft 'persons en- gaged in industries, including agriculture, found to be necessary to the maintenance of the Military Establishment, or the effective operation of the military forces, or the maintenance of national interest during the emergency.' "
While these duties were defined, they were very much more extensive as worked out in the "Regulations" than is indicated in this formula- tion of them.
Organization of District Boards
The organization of Boards in the federal judicial districts was pro- vided for in Section 4, Selective Service Act, as follows:
"The President is hereby authorized to establish additional boards, one in each Federal judicial district of the United States, consisting of such number of citizens, not connected with the Military Establishment, as the President may determine, who shall be appointed by the President. The President is hereby authorized, in his discretion, to establish more than one such board in any Federal judicial district of the United States, or to establish one such board having jurisdiction of any area extending into more than one Federal judicial district."
The plan for the organization of these Boards was outlined in the Secretary of War's letter of June 18, 1917, which will be referred to in detail later.
From the standpoint of the state, the organization of these Boards presented the same two problems that the organization of the Local Board did; namely, the determination of the jurisdiction of the Board and the appointment of its members.
Jurisdiction of the District Boards
The duty of determining the territorial jurisdiction of the District Boards was placed upon the Governors in the telegram from the Provost Marshal General dated June 26.
Accompanying the letter of the Secretary of War of June 18 there is a memorandum saying that two District Boards were to be appointed in the Western judicial district and three in the Eastern judicial district
The legal designation of these boards and the counties included in the jurisdiction of each Board are as follows:
District Board for Division No. 1, Western District of the State of Wisconsin, Counties of: Adams, Buffalo, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Grant, Green, Iowa, Jackson, Jefferson, Juneau, La Crosse, La Fayette, Monroe, Portage, Richland, Rock, Sauk, Trempealeau, Vernon and Wood.
District Board for Division No. 2, Western District of the State of Wisconsin, Counties of: Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Burnett, Chippewa, Clark, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Iron, Lincoln, Marathon, Oneida, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Price, Rusk, St. Croix, Sawyer, Taylor, Vilas and Washburn.
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District Board for Division No. 1, Eastern District of the State of Wisconsin, County of Milwaukee.
District Board for Division No. 2, Eastern District of the State of Wisconsin, Counties of: Dodge, Fond du Lac, Marquette, Green Lake, Kenosha, Ozaukee, Racine, Sheboygan, Walworth, Washington and Waukesha.
District Board for Division No. 3, Eastern District of the State of Wisconsin, Counties of: Brown, Calumet, Door, Florence, Forest, Ke- waunee, Langlade, Manitowoc, Marinette, Oconto, Outagamie, Shawano, Waupaca, Waushara and Winnebago.
The Appointment of District Board Members .
. The letter of the Secretary of War indicated the general plan for the organization of the District Boards. There was to be on each Board five members or a multiple of five members. "The composition of the normal Boards," says the Secretary of War, "should be as follows:
"One member who is in close touch with the agricultural situation of the district.
"One member who is in close touch with the industrial situation of the district.
"One member who is in close touch with labor.
"One physician.
"One lawyer.
"In districts where there are no considerable industries other than agriculture or where there is no considerable agriculture, a representa- tive of general business may be named instead of a representative of industry or of agriculture, as the case may be."
Accompanying or following soon after the Secretary's letter was the recommendations of the American Federation of Labor and the National Council of Defense. The American Federation of Labor recommended the appointment of Fred H. French of Milwaukee and Guy Johnson of Eau Claire. The National Council of Defense recommended C. F. Bur- gess of Madison. These recommendations of these national agencies were approved, included with others.
The nominations of members, as submitted in the first instance to the president and approved by him on July 25, were as follows:
District Board for Division No. 1 of the Western District-Richard Meyer, Jr., Chairman, Lancaster; C. F. Burgess, Secretary, Madison; John C. Gaveney, Arcadia; Dr W. W. Gill, Madison; J. A. Craig, Janes- ville.
District Board for Division No. 2 of the Western District-A. H. Wil- kinson, Chairman, Bayfield; G. Johnson, Secretary, Eau Claire; Dr. D. D. Woodworth, Ellsworth; George Skogmo, River Falls; W. H. Heineman, Wausau.
District Board for Division No. 1 of the Eastern District-George Lines, Chairman, Milwaukee; Fred H. French, Secretary, Milwaukee; Dr. C. R Stoddard, Milwaukee; Charles H. John, Milwaukee; Max W. Babb, Milwaukee.
District Board for Division No. 2 of the Eastern District-Harry W. Bolens, Chairman, Port Washington; A. J. Horlick, Secretary, Racine; George Harrington, Elkhorn; Dr. Grove Harkness, Waukesha; Chester D. Barnes, Kenosha.
District Board for Division No. 3 of the Eastern District-J. C. Thompson, Chairman, Oshkosh; Florian Lampert, Secretary, Oshkosh; Frank Durham, Neenah; Dr. R. E Minahan, Green Bay; John Strange, ยท Neenah.
Before the Boards really got to working, it became evident that the physical condition of Dr. Woodworth of Ellsworth would not permit the strenuous work which was demanded of him and that Senator
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Skogmo would have to give a great deal of time to his business affairs which had suffered because of his services in the State Senate and, ac- cordingly, there was recommended on August 14 the nomination of Dr H. L. Garner of Rhinelander and Louis Hanitch of Superior.
On the original Board for Division No. 3 of the Eastern District there was Mr. Thompson and Dr. Minahan. Upon the death of Mr. Thompson's brother, he asked to be relieved and Dan E. McDonald of the Local Board was appointed a member of the Board and elected Chairman. Dr. Minahan's brother entered the military service of the United States and he asked to be relieved to attend to the large amount of surgical work that he would not be able to attend to as a member of the District Board. In his place was appointed Dr. Frank Brockway of Oshkosh, who later went into the military service, and, in his place, was named Dr. J. S. Reeve of Appleton. Florian Lampert was nom- inated to Congress at the September 1918 primaries and resigned shortly thereafter. A. L King of Omro was nominated in his place.
Duties of District Boards
The duties of these boards as outlined in the law are as follows:
"Such District Boards shall review on appeal and affirm, modify, or reverse any decision of any local board having jurisdiction in the area in which any such district board has jurisdiction under the rules and regulations prescribed by the President. Such District Boards shail have exclusive original jurisdiction within their respective areas to hear and determine all questions or claims for including or excluding or discharging persons or classes of persons from the selective draft, under the provisions of this act, not included within the original juris- diction of such Local Boards
"The decisions of such district boards shall be final except that, in accordance with such rules and regulations as the President may pre- scribe, he may affirm, modify, or reverse any such decision."
The Appointment of Government Appeal Agents
Under the Regulations promulgated for the conduct of the first draft, it was required that all discharges granted by a Local Board because of dependency should be appealed to the District Board. In his telegram of August 1, the Provost Marshal General pointed out the further need of designating persons in each Local Board jurisdiction to whom citi- zens could report and who might take appeals in the interest of the government. It was, therefore, proposed that there should be desig- nated within the jurisdiction of each Local Board a representative of the government. In view of the fact that the President authorized the Provost Marshal General to make provision for this, these men were called representatives of the Provost Marshal General. They were ac- tually designated by the Governor in the name of the Provost Marshal General under the general provision of Section 6 of the Selective Service Law that:
"All persons designated or appointed under regulations prescribed by the President, whether such appointments are made by the President himself or by the Governor or other officer of any state or territory, to perform any duty in the execution of this act, are hereby required to perform such duty as the President shall order or direct, and all such officers and agents and persons so designated or appointed shall hereby have full authority for all acts done by them in the execution of this Act by the direction of the President."
In the second draft the title of these men was changed from Repre- sentatives of the Provost Marshal General to Government Appeal Agents.
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3. DETERMINING THE ORDER OF LIABILITY OF REGISTRANTS
Assigning Numbers by Lot Locally
About ten million registrants were registered in the United States on June 5, 1917. A quarter of a million registrants had been registered in the state of Wisconsin. The problem before the federal authorities was to devise a plan to secure the men who could best be spared and who were qualified for military service. As there was an indefinite number of them available, the obvious thing to do was to examine the whole ten million and take the men who could best be spared. In view of the fact that the contingents were expected to be ready in September, another plan had to be evolved. The plan that was evolved is described by the Provost Marshal General as "an expedient stop gap."
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