100 YEARS AGO IN THE SARATOGIAN
Friday, May 17, 1918. If you’re a man of draft age and were married one year ago today, you can claim an exemption from military service on the ground that your departure will cause your wife economic hardship. If you married one day later, you’re out of luck.
Saratoga County district attorney Charles B. Andrus, the county’s government appeal agent, recently asked the district exemption board whether exceptions could be made to this rule in cases of obvious hardship. In a letter published in today’s Saratogian, district board chairman J. C. Crapser tells Andrus that couples who married after May 17, 1917, have only themselves to blame for any hardship.
After long consideration, the board “finally decided to hold all cases of all men who had married after May 17, 1917, and then claimed exemption on the ground of a wife’s dependency which they had themselves by their own act created.
“They decided that this was prima facie evidence that the marriage was entered into for the purpose of evading the draft law. Any man of draft age on May 17, 1917, knew or should have known that his first obligation was to his country; and any contract entered into after that date should have been entered into with the condition that he was subject to draft and might be called for military service.”
The Selective Service Act authorizing the wartime draft was signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson on May 18, 1917. Money Gone, Drilling Ends Boys between the ages of 16 and 19 are supposed to take part in military training during the school year, but weekly drills have come to an early end because New York State has run out of money to pay for them.
The state appropriated $100,000 to pay drill instructors for the 1917-18 academic year, but has now used up that amount. To make up for lost time, Camp Blauvelt in Rockland County is expected to open a summer military camp later this year.
Effective this fall, boys will have to undergo military training in order to attend high school. A fresh appropriation will take effect with the start of the 1918-19 school year.
Saratoga Far Down in War Stamps List
Saratoga County is a disappointing 41st out of 56 counties in New York State in per capita sales of War Savings stamps, The Saratogian reports.
War Savings stamps give low-income citizens an affordable means to fund the U.S. war effort. Saratoga County residents spent $17,155 on stamps last month, or 27 cents per person. Wyoming County is tops in warstamp sales, while Rensselaer County is the worst.
— Kevin Gilbert