Draft Examinations Begin in Nemaha County
As the United States entered World War I in 1917, communities across the country faced the reality of conscription. Young men from Nemaha County, Kansas, were called before the local draft board for physical examinations to determine their fitness for military service. The Courier Democrat reported on these examinations in its August 9, 1917 issue, offering a glimpse into the process, the reactions of those involved, and the challenges faced by both draftees and officials.
The draft board, consisting of local physicians and officials, evaluated candidates for physical fitness, hearing, eyesight, and other health conditions that could disqualify them from service. Some were rejected due to medical issues, while others sought exemptions based on family or occupational responsibilities. The articles highlight the community’s response to the draft, the reluctance of some men to serve, and the pressures faced by young farmers and married men with families.
These reports provide a fascinating look at how the draft impacted small-town America, revealing both patriotic duty and the personal struggles of those who were called to serve.
PHYSICAL EXAMINATIONS
BEGAN ON MONDAY.By Monday noon the Examining Board, Drs. Snyder, Tolle and Sheriff Carman and County Clerk Kauffman had examined forty candidates. Of the forty, two or three were discharged because of physical disability. The physicians had no trouble in handling the assignment for each day. Dr. Thayer served as clerk to Dr. Snyder and B. D. Graham to Dr. Tolle. After the Doc had divested the candidate of the habiliments of civilization his weight was taken. Then he would be asked to read off a row or two of figures across the room. This eyesight test is not stringent. The letters that denoted “good” eyesight were a half or three-quarters of an inch across and easily read by any person with half-way normal sight. Those denoting “poor” eyesight were much larger and only a blind man could fail to make them out. The Doc would then ask the registered young man to stop up one ear and he would be asked if he could hear numbers plainly pronounced. The process was then duplicated with the other ear. Next came the test for ringbone or bog spavin. The young colt always so proud of the way that he could kick up his heels was given a chance to show off. He was asked to jump up and kick himself in the rear with both feet. Candidates who felt like kicking themselves because their numbers were drawn were thus given an opportunity to relieve their feelings. Then the Doc would ask for a little demonstration of a crow hop. It carried one back to his childhood days. Most of the fellows hadn’t crowhopped since they were kids.
Then the chest expansion and heart and lungs were tested. That was about all of it. The clerks would ask a man if he realized the necessity of making a truthful report and he signed the examination paper. Sheriff Carman passed out the exemption claim blanks. Those interested in the drawing soon began to realize what conscription means. Out of the first forty drawn the reporter was told that but two had not asked for the exemption blanks. This was written Monday noon and further news follows.
Monday night: The Board examined seventy today, finishing at 4:30. But two men failed to put in their appearance and one of these had enlisted. The other was Taylor Chamberlain who it was said was in St. Joseph where he had been injured in a scrap and was unable to be here. Out of the seventy men, eleven were disqualified because of physical disabilities and one, Henry C. Edwards, a felon convicted of forgery, was discharged because no felon may serve in the army. Edwards wanted to serve. This left fifty-eight; there are but seven who did not stand upon their claim for exemption: Clare Sparling, Oneida; Clarence Sigler, Baileyville; Will McEnaney, Corning; Jake Johnson (colored), Seneca; and Bonnie Booth, of Corning; Delbert Moyer, Centralia; George C. Adriance, Seneca.
A little over 11 per cent of the boys did not ask for claims. It may be that by the time this appears in print claims will have been filed for some of these boys who did not ask it for themselves. Or it may be that tomorrow’s examinations will make a better showing for Uncle Sam. It seems hardly likely though. As an estimate formed from the first day’s examinations this paper would say that fully 85 per cent of those who are not discharged for physical reasons will claim exemptions upon one ground or another.
Of course there are a lot of claims that will not hold water. It would take the government all winter to raise its quota here at the rate the boys were feeling Monday. In fact, if all the claims for exemption were allowed after counting out those discharged for physical reasons it would require about eleven hundred examinations before Nemaha County would raise its quota of 113 men. So, folks, you know, a lot of you must be disappointed. A number of young farmers wanted to claim exemption on the ground of supporting a father or mother. “Does your mother own a farm?” Sheriff Carman would ask. “Why, yes,” the candidate would say. “Well, you can’t ask for exemption on the ground of support,” the Sheriff would say. “Your mother may need…”
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PHYSICAL EXAMINATIONS
BEGAN ON MONDAY.(Continued from 1st Page)
you to farm that farm but she isn’t solely dependent upon you for support.” The Sheriff would then advise to file a claim for industrial exemption. In this way Sheriff Carman probably saved several young men from service who would have certainly been drawn if they had insisted upon their original plan. Now, of course, we must not be too hasty in expressing an opinion upon these claims for exemption. A very considerable number of these young men up Monday were young married men, some with several children. Our young men in Nemaha county marry young. A man with wife and babies with nothing ahead is doing just what the government wants him to do in claiming an exemption. If he…
is tilling a farm, on his own account, the government certainly cannot afford to take from that farm. But there are a number, a certain per cent of these men who can make the sacrifice and they should look the proposition squarely in the face. The exemption boards are going to refuse a lot of claims and the young fellow may just as well begin to look at the facts as they stand. This applies to parents as well. It is going to call for heart-aches and sorrow. That is war. The suffering is not confined to the boy who goes from home. The folks who are left are the ones that grieve. On another page we print a list of those who passed the physical examination so far as we could get them up to the time of going to press.