180,000 ELIGIBLE TO DRAFT HERE
Every County in State Required to Furnish Its Quota to Army.
INTEREST IN THE EXEMPTIONS
But Nobody Yet Has a Hint as to What the Government Will Require.
Topeka. — Every county in Kansas must furnish its share of soldiers in the national army. The secretary of war will play no favorites in regard to localities. As soon as the registration is completed next Tuesday, the President will appoint local county exemption boards to determine which young men shall go to war and which shall stay at home.
In ninety-nine counties of the state the members of the present county registration boards will be appointed by the President as members of the exemption board. In Kansas City, Kan., the present registration board will remain as an exemption board, and two additional exemption boards will be created for that city. One additional board will be created for Topeka and Wichita. Montgomery and Crawford counties will each have two exemption boards. Other counties in the state will have but one board each.
While the regulations for exemption have not yet been formally issued, information has reached here from Washington that each county will be required to furnish its quota of troops for the new army. The number will be based upon the population. Under the call, Kansas will supply about 10,000 troops for the first army, exclusive of the national guard and the regular army.
The various counties will not be given credit in the drafted army for the number of men they have furnished the regular army or the national guard. However, Kansas will be given credit for all the Kansans who go into the army, no matter in what branch of the service.
The war department has also indicated that it wants both the regular army and the national guard recruited up to full war strength, so it is not likely that any order will be issued forbidding men to volunteer, even though they have registered under the draft.
Much interest is manifested in regard to exemptions. At this time it is impossible to state what reasons for exemption will be considered good. The President has intimated that all men with families dependent upon them for support or men who can be of more service to their country on the farm or in the shops than in the army will be exempted.
from the 14 Jun 1917 issue of the Corning Gazette