The United States entered World War I in 1917. At first, President Wilson hoped to conduct the war with an entirely volunteer force. It soon became clear that they would not get enough volunteers, so Congress instituted a draft. Apparently, many men failed to register with the Selective Service.
106 Years Ago
The November 7, 1918 Colorado Transcript announced City Council’s latest ordinance. At the request of the War Department, effective immediately, the City of Golden required
all able-bodied men between the ages of 16 and 61 to engage regularly and habitually in some useful and recognized business, trade, or occupation for at least five days of each calendar week and an average of at least six hours per day…. This legislation by the city council is purely a war measure, and while it may seem drastic, similar orders have been passed by almost every municipality in the country.
Fortunately for the slackers and the leisure class, the war ended just a few days later, on November 11th. The draft was canceled at that time.
Thank you to Wendy Weiman for sponsoring Golden History Moments for the month of November.
