USA > Wisconsin > The Wisconsin blue book 1919 > Part 35
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Dependency
Series
XI. Industrial Occupations
Series XII. Agricultural Occupations
It was presumed, and the presumption was warranted, in most cases, that complete answers to the questionnaire would practically auto- matically classify the registrants. This was less true in the industrial and agricultural classifications than in the others because of the gen- eral description of the classes in industry and agriculture.
While the cartoonists and paragraphers and the lawyers sometimes tended to create the impression that it was an awful inquisition, the plan of the questionnaire . was very simple. In most cases, the reg- istrant under each series of questions merely said No ... .that is, that the series of questions was not applicable to this status. The only series of questions of rather general application was Series X on de- pendency and Series XI and XII on engagement in industry or agri- cultural enterprises.
Legal Advisory Boards
The question had been seriously raised in connection with the method of making claims under the first draft whether, in view of the fact that the whole process of selection was to be in the national interest, some form of assistance to registrants should not be officially provided. The question was raised seriously for this office by the report that lawyers were actively seeking the business of preparing claims, that exorbitant fees were charged for the preparation of claims, that even larger fees were charged for the pressing of claims. Immediately upon this report being made to this office, the State Draft Administration announced its policy in the following letter to all Local Boards:
"I am informed that some lawyers are seeking the business of pre- paring affidavits for individuals who wish to file claims for exemption on industrial or agricultural grounds. It has been further called to my attention that fees of twenty-five dollars are being asked from these persons.
"I wish to call the attention of all persons who desire to file such claims that it is absolutely unnecessary to engage an attorney for this work. Local Boards will be glad to give you the information and the chairman and secretaries are authorized to administer oaths. A public- spirited notary public in each Local Board jurisdiction has agreed to certify to these affidavits without charge. All persons who file claims
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with District Boards ought to understand that what the District Boards want is a plain statement of facts. An ingeniously worded affidavit in the legal phraseology of a lawyer does not help a man's case. It hinders it rather. Please advise all persons who come to you that a statement in plain English of the facts in the case will be given more consideration by the District Board than any high-faluting affidavit prepared by an attorney.
"It is contrary to the spirit of the Selective Service Law for claimants to have to go to this extraordinary and unnecessary expense. The most they ought to pay in the preparation of these affidavits is a nominal fee. Members of Local and District Boards and doctors and lawyers who are taking appeals for the government are, giving unreservedly of their time with practically no remuneration to see that the law is faithfully and impartially administered.
"The conduct of the few lawyers who are exploiting individuals has been severely condemned by lawyers to whom I have talked. They re- gard it, and I regard it, too, as not only unpatriotic, but unethical from the professional point of view.
"Please give this letter to your local newspapers."
As individual cases were called to the attention of this office, the matter was taken up with the particular lawyers affected and notice was served on one or two members of Local Boards that any attempt to charge any registrant fees would result in immediate dismissal.
With the questionnaire system, the need for organized assistance for registrants was both actual and psychological. To persons unaccus- tomed to legal and other forms, the questionnaire was a formidable looking document. To overcome the first impression of the document, it was necessary that legal assistance should be provided and widely an- nounced. In view, too, of the fact that the whole selective process was not a contest between litigants but was an inquiry by the United States Government to determine where registrants could best serve the government, it was necessary that the proffered assistance should be both disinterested and necessarily gratuitous. To bring this about, it was provided in the Regulations for the appointment of Legal Advisory Boards in such jurisdictions as the Governor should designate. In this state a Legal Advisory Board was adopted for each county in the state, irrespective of the number of Boards within the county.
To assist the Draft Administration in this, the Provost Marshal Gen- eral designated a committee to be known as the Central Legal Ad- visory Committee consisting of the Vice-president and Counsellor of each state of the American Bar Association, the President of the State Bar Association, and the State Attorney General. In the first instance, this Committee consisted of W. A. Hayes and J. B Sanborn of the American Bar Association, and Honorable Walter Owen, State Attorney General, and Judge R. D. Marshall, President of the State Bar Associa- tion. Mr. Sanborn was designated as chairman of the Committee, in view of the fact that he lived in Madison and was immediately available for the important service that this committee was to render. In co- operation with Mr. Sanborn, the Draft Administrator prepared for the approval of the Governor, a list of three lawyers in each county of the state to be the permanent members of the Legal Advisory Boards. In two counties, Adams and Iron, three lawyers were not available for service on these boards and laymen were substituted. These Legal Ad- visory Boards were authorized to call to their assistance all the lawyers in the county and such laymen as would assist. In several counties practically the entire associate membership was made up of laymen. The work of these boards was splendidly organized, particularly the Milwaukee County Board under the direction of William Kaumheimer and assistance was rendered promptly so that the 200,000 questionnaires that were distributed between December 15 and January 15 were all
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completed on February 1. The work as a whole was very efficiently done in view of the size of the task and the amount of time to do it.
The response of the lawyers of the state in particular was splendid. All but less than a dozen lawyers in the state generously responded to the call of the President for assistance in this work and gave up their time generously to the performance of the task. The judges of the courts of the state were asked to put cases over during the period of the preparation of these questionaires in the first draft and they, too, responded splendidly in every case. Only those cases that were abso- lutely necessary to be passed on were heard at this time.
The same valuable assistanc . was rendered in connection with the registration of June 5, August 't, and September 12, 1918.
The Central Legal Advisory C nmittee, through its Chairman, J. B. Sanborn, maintained the vigorous attitude toward lawyers who did not accept the gratuitous feature of the law as had been taken earlier by the Draft Administration.
Mr. Sanborn caused a number of lawyers to refund charges to regis- trants. Some lawyers, apparently, had made charges to registrants under the mistaken notion that they were their clients or they failed to understand the fact that they were representatives of the United States government by virtue of their oath of office as associate members of the Legal Advisory Boards.
The attitude of lawyers of the state is formally expressed in a resolu- tion which was strongly advocated by Mr. Sanborn, Judge Marshall, and Mr. Kaumheimer. This resolution is as follows:
"WHEREAS, The purpose of the Selective Service System is to furnish men for the paramount military needs of the Nation in the order that their removal will interfere least with the civic, family, industrial and agricultural institutions of the Nation; and,
"WHEREAS, The President of the United States has called upon the Bar of the Nation to assist the Nation in this great enterprise; and,
"WHEREAS, The lawyers of this State as individuals have responded to the call of the President; and this Association wishes to place itself on record wholeheartedly in response to that call,
"Therefore, be it
"Resolved, That it is the sense of the Wisconsin State Bar Association that there cannot properly exist between a lawyer and a registrant as such, the relation of attorney and client; and be it further
"Resolved, That it is improper and contrary to the spirit of the call of the President for a lawyer to accept any compensation whatever for any service required by the Selective Service Regulations; and, be it further "Resolved, That whenever by reason of being called into service a selected man require legal services that such services be rendered wholeheartedly and gratuitously regardless of the financial ability to pay for such services-the sole test being that such service is rendered necessary or desirable by reason of the call into military service."
The Central Legal Advisory Committee was designed apparently merely to assist in the selection of the permanent members of the Legal Advisory Boards. It was felt, however, that the Central Legal Advisory Committee in particular could be of great assistance to the Draft Administration by becoming actively interested in the work and taking a desk in the office of the Draft Administration. When this suggestion was made to Mr. Sanborn, he immediately responded favor- ably to it and gave generously of his time in carrying it out and as- sumed active connection with the Legal Advisory Boards of the State. The State Headquarters were receiving large numbers of inquiries which were plainly covered by the Regulations and by the law. Mr. Sanborn gladly undertook to relieve the Draft Administrator and the Adjutant General of a great deal of this detail correspondence. The work was especially well done.
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The members of the Central Legal Advisory Committee, particularly Mr. Sanborn, and the lawyers of the state, have responded generously to the national cause and have rendered an incalculable service in the administration of the Selective Service Law in this state.
III. MAKING AVAILABLE THE FULL MILITARY STRENGTH OF THE STATE
The Extension of the Draft Ages
The policy of the Provost Marshal General's office with reference to the calling of men into military service was to restrict the call to men who were placed in Class I under the classification scheme. This policy is announced for the first time in the report of the first draft in these words: "Whether the guess (that the classification would furnish one million men physically acceptable) be justified or not, it can be an- nounced now as the policy and belief of this office that in all probability it will be possible to fill our. military needs without ever invading any class more deferred than Class I; and this is the promise, the standard, and the goal, here for the first time announced, toward which every effort of this office shall be directed."
The fulfillment of this hope, in view of the increasing demands made upon the Provost Marshal General's office by the Chief of Staff, was seen to depend on further legislation. There was some delay as to just what the policy should be, but it was finally determined that the first step should be the registration of men who became twenty-one years of age since the first registration. There was accordingly passed Public Reso- lution Number 30 of the 65th Congress which was approved by the President May 20, 1918.
The essential provisions of this resolution are two: first, the registra- tion of all male persons residing in the United States who have since the fifth of June, 1917, and on or before the day set by the proclamation of the President, attained the age of 21 years, and, second, that at such intervals as the President may from time to time prescribe, the President may require the registration of all male persons residing in the United States who have attained the age of twenty-one since the last preceding registration.
Under the first provision of this joint resolution, the President of the United States ordered a registration on June 5, 1918.
The Governor, on May 24, issued the following proclamation:
"The President of the United States has, pursuant to law, declared June 5, 1918, as Registration Day under the Selective Service Law for all male persons who have attained the age of twenty-one years since June 5, 1917.
"The obligation to register is placed on all such male persons in the United States on June 5, 1918, whether citizens of the United States, persons who have taken out their first papers only, or aliens. Persons in the military or naval service of the United States are not required to register while they remain in such military or naval service, but are required to register immediately upon leaving it.
"The place of registration is ordinarily the office of the Local Board having jurisdiction of the area wherein the persons required to register permanently reside. Within the jurisdiction of the Local Board having an extensive area or poor railroad connections, additional places of registration will be established, and these will be announced in the public press.
"Persons who are likely to be absent from their home on June fifth and who cannot register with the Local Board having jurisdiction over their places of residence should present themselves at the earliest pos- sible moment to any Local Board wherever they may be. This Local
1
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Board will furnish such persons registration cards, and certify to the answers made on such cards. The duty is placed upon such persons to see that such cards are filed with the proper Local Board. This should preferably be done by registered mail. There should be enclosed with the card a self-addressed, stamped envelope in order that a registration certificate may be issued to the persons registering.
"Special provisions have been made to register the sick.
"Male persons of the designated age who, on account of absence at sea, or on account of absence without the territorial limits of the United States, may be unable to register as absentees will, within five days after reaching the first United States port, register with his proper Local Board or as provided for other absentees.
"The places of registration are required to be open between the hours of 7 A. M. and 9 P. M. on June fifth next. But though the offices will be open during these hours, it is confidently expected that the registration may be completed in this state before two o'clock in the afternoon. Every patriotic agency and all good citizens will cooperate with us in securing a complete registration early on June fifth.
"Wisconsin was the first state in the Union to report its registration returns to Washington last year. This report reached the Provost Mar- shal General four hours before the report of the District of Columbia. It was a splendid illustration of the willingness of the citizens of this state to pull together, for a national purpose. It was only a beginning of the splendid service citizens everywhere in the state have given to the national government. I am confident that we can do again this year what was done last year.
"I call upon all persons now administering the draft, all public offi- cials, all good citizens, and particularly the newspapers of the state, to cooperate in this great common enterprise.
"I call upon all citizens who are willing to act as registrars on June fifth to offer their services to their own Local Board.
"When these twenty-five thousand men of the designated age present themselves for registration on America's roll for the cause of humanity and dedicate themselves to their country and the civilization of the world, let us all rededicate ourselves to the great cause to which the President of the United States, our Commander-in-Chief, has offered all our re- sources, human and economic.
"In conformity with the Proclamation of the President of the United States, I, Emanuel L. Philipp, Governor of the State of Wisconsin, do hereby designate and appoint the fifth day of June, nineteen hundred eighteen as registration day and I call upon all persons of the desig- nated age to present themselves on this day at the proper office of registration to enroll themselves for such military or other service as the constituted authorities may determine, and I urge upon all good citizens that the day be fittingly celebrated; that the business interests of the state will give the young men who are required to register every opportunity to do so; and that flags be displayed on public buildings and private homes on this day of dedication."
On May 25, the Provost Marshal General's office was advised: "Wis- consin is ready."
Because of the comparatively few men to be registered, it was not felt desirable to call into being the whole election machinery as had been done the year before. The question was put up to the Local Boards of the state whether they wished to designate additional places of reg- istration outside the office of the Local Board. In all, about ten Local Boards expressed the advisability of such designation and, upon the recommendation of the Board, the places were designated.
The registration day came and passed without incident.
Almost twenty thousand men were registered on June 5, 1918. The Provost Marshal General said, in a letter received on June 24, that "the
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state might well be proud of its record." In communicating this state- ment of the Provost Marshal General to the Local Boards, we sum- marized the results of the registration day as follows:
"The Provost Marshal General has sent the following letter to the Governor apropos of our work in connection with the registration:
"'Wisconsin may indeed be proud of the record it has made in the administration of the Selective Service Law.'
"You may be interested in the net result of your work on registration day. At 9:20 the Governor's office had the reports from the fifteen city Boards of Milwaukee and transmitted the following telegram to the Provost Marshal General at exactly that time: 'Milwaukee is proud of its record and wishes me to advise you it has in Group A, 3,025; Group B, 30; and Group C, 44.'
"At 11:00 on June fifth we had in the office the 104 reports from the Local Boards of the state, and at that time, there was transmitted to the Provost Marshal General the following telegram: " 'Wisconsin gladly adds to its honor roll the following number of registered men: In Group A, 18,598; Group B, 62; Group C, 1,258. Registration pro- ceeded without a hitch.'
"The words of appreciation of the Provost Marshal General are properly words of appreciation for the service of the members of Local Boards and the many volunteer registrants who assisted them so capably on registration day.
"Convey to all members who assisted you my appreciation of their splendid efforts."
Registration of August 24, 1918
Detailed instructions were received by the Governor's office on Au- gust 9, anticipating legislation extending the draft ages. The intro- ductory statement in this letter is as follows:
"1. It is anticipated that legislation extending the present draft ages will soon be enacted by Congress. At this time, it cannot be stated with exactness what ages will be subject to draft, but it is safe to as- sume that a very large number of men will be required to register, and that registration day will be early in September.
"2. To conduct successfully a registration of the magnitude which the forthcoming registration is certain to attain, required detailed and ex- tensive preparation. There will not be time for such preparation after the passage of the legislation. The success of the coming registration on this date depends upon the adequacy of the preparation you will make. We will rely upon you to do the things outlined in this series of memoranda containing the instructions of the Provost Marshal General. If you have any difficulties, communicate immediately with the Gov- ernor's office for advice or further instruction.
"3. Preparation for the anticipated registration is by far the most important work now confronting those connected with the administra- tion of the draft and the necessity for complete readiness at the earliest possible date cannot be overemphasized."
The estimated number of men to be registered on that day was over 320,000.
The Provost Marshal General furnished estimates on their past ex- perience for each Local Board jurisdiction in the state. These esti- mates were remarkably accurate and the total was within two thousand of the actual number.
Preparation for this registration was being pushed with all possible speed when on August 15 word was received regarding a special regis- tration to be held on August 24. This registration was held in ac- cordance with the provision of the second section of Public Resolution No. 30. "This registration was ordered," says the Provost Marshal Gen- eral, "in view of the demand for Class I men." Special efforts were
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made from the very beginning to prevent confusion of the big registra- tion in September. A special effort, in view of the shortness of time allowed for this registration, was made to interest the newspapers of the state in publishing half-page and quarter-page advertisements in the forms recommended by the State Draft Administration which were as follows:
SPECIAL REGISTRATION DAY
Aug. 24, 1918
Who Will Register-Men who have attained the age of 21 years be- tween June 5, 1918 and August 24, 1918.
Place of Registration-The office of your Local Board. In this county it will be ..
Date of Registration-Saturday, August 24, 1918, after 7 A. M. Until evening.
Caution: Note carefully that this is not the general registration of men up to 45 years of age. This is the special registration of the men who have attained 21 years of age since June 5, 1918.
Register early in the day.
THE DRAFT ADMINISTRATION.
The response of the newspapers of the state, particularly, in the small cities, was generous. Many Local Boards on their own initiative had hand-bills published and widely distributed announcing the regis- , tration.
On August 21 full preparation had been made for the registration of August 24.
At four o'clock on registration day, August 24, 3,250 men had been registered. A telegram to this effect was sent to the Provost Marshal General at six o'clock.
At 11 o'clock on the evening of August 24, the following telegram was sent to the Provost Marshal General:
"Wisconsin adds to its honor roll today 4,381 registrants as follows: Group A (4,093), Group B (33), Group C (255).
"These men will be classified and available for September calls."
This registration was regarded merely as a supplement to the regis- tration of June 5, 1918 and is generally regarded as part of the second registration-that is, the registration of June-August, 1918.
The total number of men registered under these registrations, in- cluding the late registrants, was 25,031.
Registration of September 12, 1918
The next day the Local Boards took up the threads of the prepara- tion for the registration of early September and pushed the work with usual vigor. It was presumed at this time that the date of this regis- tration would be September 5 or 6, though the date was subsequently changed to the 12th.
The Governor issued a proclamation as follows:
"The President of the United States has, pursuant to law, designated September 12, 1918, as Registration Day for all male persons who shall have attained their eighteenth birthday and shall not have attained their forty-sixth birthday on or before September 12, 1918, unless they are in the military or naval service of the United States, or unless they are now registered under the Selective Service Law.
"On that day, the manhood of the Nation, between the designated ages will willingly add their names to the honor roll of the eleven million men who have registered heretofore and who are serving their country
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splendidly in factory and on farm and gloriously in Picardy, in Alsace- Lorraine, in Italy, and everywhere, where armies today are fighting for righteousness.
"The thirteen million additional registrants called to such service, military, civil or industrial, as the constituted authorites of Local and District Boards shall decide, is merely another evidence of our de- termination to push to overwhelming victory the cause of justice and civilization in which we are engaged. The President of the United States says, "This will be our final demonstration of loyalty, democracy and the will to win, our solemn notice to all the world that we stand to- gether in a common resolution and purpose.
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