В 1917 году США ввели всеобщую мобилизацию для поддержки участия в Первой мировой войне

In the Spring of 1917, as the United States was entering World War I, the entire US Army consisted of just 292,000 men. The nation’s war department calculated that over a million men would be needed to fight this new, large-scale war that was rapidly consuming Europe. Stateside, enthusiasm for joining the battle had begun slowly, but by early 1917, momentum was gaining daily. Young men were flocking to the enlistment offices and the army was struggling to handle the influx. In 1917 alone, about 180 men enlisted in Bennington. But even that was not enough to produce the numbers required to wage modern warfare. What was needed was controlled enlistment, a system that balanced the demands of the war effort and domestic productivity. The draft did this in two ways; it maintained enlistment numbers so troop strength did not wane; and through deferments, it kept enough men at home to do vital work in the farms and factories. The Bennington Banner fully supported conscription as early as March of 1917, when it reported “that every able-bodied citizen should always have sufficient military training so that he can do his duty in case of need.” The Banner felt that there would be no disgrace attached to the draftee and that it would be an honor to be conscripted into the army in this way. On April 28 the paper wrote that the Conscription Act was different from the last military draft laws, passed during the Civil War. Then, the Act was looked upon as a last resort to bring men into the army, and the draftee was viewed as a slacker who had avoided volunteering. The current law was different, portrayed by the government as an opportunity for patriots “to volunteer en masse.” On May 18, 1917, Wilson had signed into law the Selective Service Act, establishing a system that required qualified men to join the military. All men between the ages of 21 and 30 would be expected to register by June 5. Eventually, by December of 1917, the government announced that there would be no more enlistments; manpower would be drawn exclusively from men drafted into service. The night before registration, a public meeting was held at the Opera House on Main Street to declare support for the war. The opera house was decorated with flags, and red white and blue bunting. The Bennington city band played several patriotic pieces as a large crowd entered the building. Judge E.H. Holden presided and welcomed everyone, and John Spargo (later the director of Bennington Museum) introduced a resolution in support of the war against Germany. The resolution outlined the reasons for the war and the need to mobilize the country through the draft, pushed for support of the Red Cross and the purchase of Liberty Bonds to defeat the “German conspiracies against the liberties of mankind.” Clarence Warner, a great-grandson of Seth Warner, spoke in support of the Liberty Bond drive. J. Norton Cru, who had served with the French Army, then spoke of his experiences saying “that war is neither hell nor romance but it is a man’s work that must be done on behalf of the people of the world.” Reverend G.S. Mills then “urged complete crushing of German rule and German autocracy.” The Red Cross reported 1,800 new memberships, and local businesses put forth $183.50 in support. Mrs. E.W Bradford, wife of Henry Bradford, owner of the Bradford Mill, was chair of the Red Cross committee. As “young ladies passed among those present and made a collection for the benefit and support of soldiers in the war,” collecting another $130, the meeting was concluded with the singing of the “Star-Spangled Banner”. Bennington was ready to serve its country. The next day, starting at 7 a.m., men who met the age designation laid out in the draft order reported to the Bennington County Courthouse on South Street. The registration board, consisting of E.H. Holden, E.A. Booth, and J.M. Ayers, along with assistants and several stenographers who had volunteered their services, stood ready. By 11 o’clock, over 300 young men had registered, greatly exceeding expectations. The courthouse provided an efficient place to handle the flow of registrants and as the men arrived, they went to a set of tables where assistants asked them a number of questions to determine their eligibility, and the volunteer stenographers recorded their answers. Their responses were typed onto cards, and each registrant was assigned a number. The entire process took just a few minutes. Several interpreters were on hand to help any French Canadian or Italian-speaking registrants. Unlike the registration for the Civil War, where riots broke out in some major cities, the 1917 registration went smoothly throughout the country. From the courthouses and city halls in towns across the country, registrations were sent to Washington, DC. The next step was left to the highest levels of government. On July 20, officials from the Department of War convened in the Senate office building on Constitution Avenue, a grand structure made with grey New Hampshire granite and white Vermont marble. When the leaders of the War Department met that morning, they were charged with one solemn task. They were to determine which Americans would fight in the conflagration called the Great War.