In 1917, to supply the anticipated quota of men, the local boards called for physical examination 19,696 men. Out of the total number called, approximately 75 per cent were found to be physically fit. Of this number 7,760 filed claims requiring the action of local boards, 3,381 filed claims with the district board for discharge upon agricultural and industrial grounds and 1,311 appealed to the district board from decisions of local boards.

The greatest difficulty, which at first confronted all the boards, was the lack of definite information concerning the various registrants, without which their claims could not be properly considered. This difficulty was early anticipated and steps taken to procure exact information concerning every registrant filing a claim. It is believed that the information thus obtained, largely thru the co-operation of the registrants themselves, was the greatest single contributing factor to the successful working of the law in North Dakota. Of the first group of 3,381 agricultural and industrial claims decided by the district board in 1917, more than one-fourth were appealed to the President, all the information being forwarded with each case appealed. There were but few instances in which the previous decisions were reversed.

Beginning in January, 1918, the boards entered upon the task of classifying all registrants under the questionnaire method. Before the work was completed there were 160,292 registrants under the jurisdiction of the boards, and in classifying this number the District Board considered 35,815 claims in addition to the 4,692 considered during 1917.3 A fair percentage of these cases were considered more

3The classifications made by the District Board in 1918 were as follows: 1. Cases appealed from classification of Local boards:

*Note: The classifications in the appealed cases preceding Class generally reflect degrees of dependency of others upon the registrant, while in Class V are placed those who, on account or alienage, official position, or physical, mental or moral unfitness, are considered as practically excluded from all liability for service. 2. Industrial and agricultural classification, coming under the original jurisdiction of the District Board:

Class II-C:

Class II-D:
Class III-J:
Class III-K:

enterprise.

Class III-L:
Class IV-C:
Class IV-D:

Necessary skilled farm labor.
Necessary skilled industrial labor.

Necessary assistant manager, agricultural enterprise.
Highly specialized mechanical expert in industrial

Assistant manager necessary industrial enterprise.
Sole manager of agricultural enterprise.

Necessary sole manager of necessary industrial enter

than once in order that the ultimate classification might justly reflect any change in status or conform to newly acquired information concerning the registrant.

After the signing of the armistice, much work yet remained to be done, both by the boards and by the state headquarters. This work was completed in record time in this state, our headquarters being the first to report the completion of the work and the closing of the records. Too much credit cannot be given the local boards of this state for the excellent administration of the selective service law, for the contact of these boards with the registrants was more direct than that of any other agency, and they had a greater primary responsibility. They have well earned the compliment paid them in a condensed report of the Adjutant General and chief draft executive of this state, wherein he said:

"This condensed report by its briefness cannot give well-earned credit to the men who so ably aided in the creation of such an armybuilding machine as is unknown in world history. Their work can never be measured in the everyday values of exchange; they have worked patiently and patriotically through trying ordeals and the result of their work now more than ever stands as a monument to their toil, and as everlasting proof that a democracy can raise, organize and equip an army willing and able to fight to sustain the ideals and institutions upon which this nation was founded."

It is believed that the foregoing outline will suffice to indicate the magnitude of the task imposed upon those whose duty it was to administer the selective service law; and that it will also convey an idea of the degree of efficiency with which the work was handled in this state.*

When the history of our participation in the world war is written, no single feature will stand out more prominently than the successful operation of the selective service system, for when it is remembered that our last experience with a so-called conscription law resulted in actually drafting into the Union army less than

4At the close of the war, the classification of the North Dakota registrants was summarized as follows: NORTH DAKOTA REGISTRANTS

50,000 men, (as compared with 2,666,867 under the 1917 law) and that the act was so unpopular in various sections of the country as to precipitate riots, it will be realized that a great step forward has been taken. The chief points of superiority of the 1917 law over that of 1863 are the administrative features and the more democratic application of the later law. It applied directly and equally to all regardless of circumstances-substitution being impossible.

During the war much was heard of the lack of a sympathetic support of the government on the part of those who were Americans by adoption. Insofar as sentiment of this character might be expected from populations of immediate foreign antecedents, with their attendant traditions, it might have been expected in North Dakota, for our comparatively young state has been settled largely by peoples coming from Europe in search of homes and economic opportunity. Our fertile prairies have welcomed them more cordially even than have the industrial centers and the old settled communities. The census of 1910 shows that, while the proportion of the foreign born to the total population in the United States was 16.3%, in North Dakota the percentage was 27.1%; while of our native born population 43.5% are of foreign or mixt parentage. In 29 of the 49 counties the proportion of the foreign born white population exceeded onefourth, while in no county was the proportion of the native white population of foreign or mixt parentage less than one-fourth. Thus has North Dakota been a "melting pot" or a laboratory for Americanizing foreign peoples to a degree that is scarcely surpast by any other state. In this she succeeded, for before the war her people had become accustomed to the free air of democracy and had developt an appreciation of the most valuable traditions of the republic. So the fact of a high percentage of population of foreign origin did not prevent her from performing her duty. It is believed that it would. be difficult to find any place in the Union where the contribution of man-power to the armed forces of the nation was sent forth with less friction and with a greater sense of pride in doing all that was necessary to be done to uphold the honor and to vindicate the ideals of the nation.

But we must not assume from this that it is unnecessary to take stock of our Americanism, for we can indeed profit, in common with every other community, by the counsel of Judge Amidon, who, in addressing a prisoner, said:

"There must be an interpretation anew of the oath of allegiance.

5255,373 men are credited as conscripted. This includes those who paid commutation in lieu of service, and deserters. Second Report, Provost Marshal General, December 21, 1918, page 377.

It has been in the past nothing but a formula of words. From this time on it must be translated into living characters incarnate in the life of every foreigner who has his dwelling place in our midst. If they have been cherishing foreign history, foreign ideals, foreign loyalty, it must be stopped, and they must begin at once, all over again, to cherish American thought, American history, American ideals. That means something that is to be done in your daily life. It does not mean simply that you will not take up arms against the United States. It goes deeper far than that. It means that you will live for the United States, and that you will cherish and grow American souls inside of you."

The counsel should be extended. It should be given universal application. The men of North Dakota fought to preserve American ideals, and every citizen of whatever origin should, by act and deed, manifest anew the spirit of allegiance to those high principles that give character to the soul of America.

North Dakota's Contribution Thru

the Liberty Loan

SAMUEL TORGERSON,

Cashier Northwestern National Bank, Grand Forks, North Dakota

TO

OWARDS the winning of the war our state of North Dakota has contributed liberally both of men and money. On account of the large foreign element in its population there was some fear exprest that our state would not do its share, but subsequent events proved such fears unfounded.

Our state contributed money for the war in several ways. One of these was thru the five issues of Liberty Loans, the last one being also called the Victory Loan. It is my privilege to relate how North Dakota responded to the appeals of the government for funds by the sale of its obligations.

Soon after we entered the war it was determined that a part of the expenses must be met by the issue of government bonds offered as a popular subscription to all the people. In order to reach the people an agency had to be created thru which the sale of the government securities could be made. The Secretary of the Treasury, Mr. McAdoo, appointed a committee consisting of himself, the Assistant Secretary, Mr. Russell C. Leffingwell, and Mr. L. B. Franklin, Vice President of the Guaranty Trust Co. of New York, for the purpose of making allotments of the different loan issues among the Federal Reserve Districts. The allotments to each district were based primarily on the banking resources, altho the general financial condition was also taken into consideration. On this basis it was determined that the allotments to the Ninth Federal Reserve District, consisting of the states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Montana, fifteen counties of Michigan, and twenty-six counties of Wisconsin, should be three and one-half per cent of its banking resources. The Governor of each Federal Reserve District was then called upon to appoint a chairman to take charge of the sale of each bond issue, and as such chairman for the ninth district, Mr. Arthur R. Rogers of Minneapolis was appointed. He in turn appointed chairmen for each state, and as such chairman for North Dakota, ex-Governor L. B. Hanna was appointed, who served during the campaigns of the first two Liberty Loans when he resigned to enter Red Cross work in France. He was succeeded by Hon. Wesley C. McDowell of Marion, who has had charge of the work in the state