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The Conscription Board

    On Saturday night, April 28, 1917, House and the Senate passed the Conscription Law, whereby it became compulsory for every male citizen between the ages of 21 and 30 inclusive, to register for military service. A few hours after the law was passed Governor Goodrich appointed Switzerland county's first Conscription Board as follows: Attorney James S. Wright, County Clerk Jesse P. Curry, and Shriff Thomas Pickett. Later it became necessary for one member of the board to be a physician and James S. Wright resigned, his place being filled by Dr. J.P. Ward. Attorney C.S. Tandy was made a member of the board to act on claims for exemption. Because of poor health he was forced to resign in August, 1917, and he was succeeded by Prosecutor Wallace J. Cotton.

    On May 1st the Consription (sic) Board named the following men to attend to the registration in the various precincts in the county:

    The work of the Conscription Board grew to such proportions that it demanded almost the undivided time of each member of the Board. And because they did not have the time to care for this work as it should be done members Curry and Pickett resigned and were succeeded by County Recorder O. P. Courtney and Rev. F. E. Hammel.

    The first registration of men of conscription age was held in the county on June 5, 1917. On that date 681 men between the ages of 21 and 31 years registered. On the registration blanks were places to be filled in by all men who had relatives dependent upon them for support. Of the 681 registrants 326 of them had dependents. A few of the men with dependents, however, refused to enter a claim for exemption, and the total who did not claim exemption was 268. The registration was accomplished without friction of any kind and nearly all youths who registered expressed a willingness to enter service in the war against Germany. All members of the precinct boards did their work without pay.

    On June 5, 1918, all Switzerland county boys who had attained the age of 21 years since June 5, 1917, were ordered to register for service. It was known that the registration would be small and, accordingly, notices were published in the newspapers instructing all youths of 21 to register at the Court House in Vevay. During the day eighty-six young men registered for service, and a number of them were afterward drafted, trained, sent to France and took part in the battles which led to victory.

    On August 16, 1918, eighteen more Switzerland county men registered for service.

    On August 31, 1918, President Wilson affixed his signature to a new draft bill which provided that all male citizens of the United States, between the ages of 18 and 45, must register for military service on Thursday, September 12th. Men 45 years old and who had not attained their 46th birthday were subject to call and were ordered to register. President Wilson announced on the day he signed the bill that boys under 20 years of age would not be sent to camps until all available men from 20 to 45 had been drafted.

    Places of registration were at all voting precincts in the county. Prior to registration day estimates had been made that there would be about 700 men in Switzerland county to register. However, when the names were counted it was found that there were 1081. In several places in the county fathers and their sons registered. In Jefferson township Morton Bennett and his son Walter each registered for service. The father was 43 years old and the son celebrated his 18th birthday on the night before he registered.

    This registration was remarkable for the feeling of patriotism that was displayed. At each registration place men of middle age, many of them heads of families, announced that they would not claim exemption, and from their conversation it was very evident that scores of husbands and fathers were more than anxious to get into the firing line in France.

    During the war 1,866 Switzerland county men and boys registered for military service, an average of one out of about every five inhabitants. Of the total number of registrants, many were physically unfit for service and several hundred more had relatives dependent upon them for support. About 397 men were conscripted and sent to camps, but many of these were discharged shortly after reaching their destinations as being unfit for duty.

    The members of the Switzerland County Consription Board cannot be too highly praised. Fully half of their time was devoted to war work, and they gave their time just as willingly and cheerfully as the dough boy did in France. At times during the war members of the Board were bitterly censured and cries of "favoritism" and "politics" were heard. Throughout the war the writer kept in close touch with the Board, however, and it is his honest conviction that the members of the Board did their work only as honest and honorable American citizens would do. The only thought that filled their minds was to do their work thoroughly, selecting the best material for service, so that the war would more speedily come to an end.