100 years ago in The Saratogian
Tuesday, Sept. 25, 1917
Saratogian reporter Frank J. Sullivan was one of the draftees who left town last Saturday for the Camp Devens training facility in Ayer MA. He writes home today to report that he’s moving up in the military world.
“The company clerk writes you!” Sullivan writes in a postcard that will be excerpted on tomorrow’s front page. The company in question is Company H of the 303rd U.S. Infantry, comprised mostly of Saratoga County men.
“I am ‘It’ since this morning,” the clerk explains, “There is much rigamarole to go through here but so far the novelty of it all has kept me interested, although Sunday was a blue, homesick day for me. On the whole I think I shall like it.”
Clerking is a step up from Sullivan’s first military assignment. He and local attorney Andy Hall spent last night washing dishes. He reports today that Hall “pulled stumps while I clattered on an Underwood in the office.”
It’s unclear whether Sullivan or a civilian reporter contributed the description of Camp Devens that appears in today’s paper.
“The camp is situated at the top of a hill, about two miles from the entrance. The barracks are two hundred feet long and one hundred feet wide. The mess hall, kitchen and company offices are situated on the first floor and the second floor is used as the sleeping quarters.
“The buildings are well lighted and no fault can be found on this score. Latrines have been constructed a short distance from the barracks and are equipped with hot and cold shower baths.”
Sullivan was part of the second call-up of men whose numbers were selected during the July 20 draft lottery and subsequently cleared for military service. A third call-up of equal size is expected early next month.
Conscientious objectors
While giving prominent play to Sullivan’s new adventure, The Saratogian has harsh words for Americans who avoid military service as conscientious objectors to war.
“The government wants to be fair to them, but they make it almost impossible to work out any fair solution,” the editorial writer claims.
The editorial alleges that conscientious objectors have refused not only military service but any form of national service related to the war, from medical staffing to burial of the dead.
“The conclusion is inevitable that most of these super-conscientious gentlemen are not conscientious at all – that they’re too cowardly to fight, or too lazy to work, or too callous to heed the call of suffering and dying humanity, or too selfish to play their due part in a great, necessary national enterprise,” the writer concludes.