Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 170, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 August 1917 — Far Too Many Ara Asking Exemption From Service. [ARTICLE]

Far Too Many Ara Asking Exemption From Service.

Indianapolis, Ind., Aug. B.—Nearly every mother’s son in Indiana who has gone before an examining board under the draft law thus far has cliamed exemption for one reason or another. It begins to look as if the government will have to call out every man, woman, child and dog in the country to get an army, if the present ratio of exemption request* continues. Not only in Indianapolis* but in other parts of the state the same story is told. Some of the men present what may be regarded as valid reasons for exemptions, but it is reported that some of them present excuses that cannot stand under any circumstances. There is a story going around also that in some of the larger places in the state men have registered false addresses, in the hope that they can thus escape the draft. But there is a suspicion that if any such, are found it will go hard with them. It is very evident that.the government does not propose to stand for any foolishness in regard to the formation of the national army. It will be several days before the examinations in all of the districts of the state are in full swing, although they are in progress in many places. One of the significant incidents in this city was the stealing of the registration lists in one of the districts. Somebody broke into the office of the exemption ' board Wednesday night and stole the lists. It is presumed that the thief believed he might thus cripple the work of the board and make it impossible for him to be called on for army service. However, a complete list of the names of men registered is available at the state house from which a new list could be made for the board. It has been definitely settled that when the Indiana national guard goes into federal service Sunday it will be sent to Fort Harrison at once and kept there until it is sent to the training* camp at Hattiesburg, Miss. This will be about the first part of September, it is thought. Already the location for the camp of the Indiana national guard at Ft Harrison has been selected and everything will be in readiness to receive the troops when they arrive at the fort.