Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-09-26
ASKLAWYERS AID
ON DRAFTED ALIENS
Local Boards Want Their
Attorneys to Take Up
Involved Question
STUDENTS STILL IN CAMPS
Judge Thompson Awaits Deci-
sion of Military Authorities
on Acceptance of Convict

Lawyers for the different local draft
boards are to be brought into the contro-
versy over the status of aliens which is
agitating Provost Marshal General Crowder.
United States District Attorney Francis
Fisher Kane the Federal Court, Philade-
pha District Appeal Board No. and the
various foreign consuls.
The local draft officials maintain that
the burden Of proof is with the alien as
to whether he is a bona nde subject OF
foreign country, and that the boards should
not be called upon to substantiate whether
the draft subject has taken out naturaliza-
tion papers or has voted in this country
They want their attorneys, appointed by
Governor Brumbaugh, to look out for their
interests, to defend their position.
kilograms were received by the local
boards from the State headquarters at Har-
risburg advising them to be on the alert
for persons who looked like aliens. and to
take time to explain to them carefully just
what they should do TO prove that they
were citizens of a foreign country and in
the nature of filing exemption papers.
WOMEN BESIEGE APPEAL BOARD
Dozens of women. many with children,
besieged the chief clerk Of District Appeal
Board No early today. Their husbands
had either been sent to training camp re-
gardless OF the fact that their family was
dependent upon them, or the men had failed
to file claims through neglect or ignorance.
These women in many cases appeared
with tears running down their cheeks. with
out single idea where their next meal
was coming from, being solely dependent
upon their husbands one woman had been
elected from her house by the landlord be-
cause she hadn't paid the rent one woman
was stranger to this city and had no
money at all.
The district board in virtually all of these
destitute cases communicated with the local
draft boards advising them to reopen the
cases. 1t Is expected that this action will
result in bringing the husband back from
Camp Meade; otherwise their families will
become public charges
w g. Murdock connected with the State
draft headquarters, came down from Har-
risburg today and paid off the two district
appeal boards and their clerical forces He
remarked that il these boards had filled out
the proper blanks they could have received
remuneration before
District Appeal Board No opened its
new quarters in the Record Building 9l7
Chestnut street, today. The new rooms are
spacious and adequate for the complex work |
connected with the filing, certifying and
following up draft subjects. The board has |
a room suitable for its hearings. the clerical
force has another room equally fitted for its |
particular work, and there is third re-
ception room where the chief clerk may
receive applicants for appeal decisions.
District Appeal Board No. l announced |
today that 1t had certified back to local |
boards B, 6, Z, 40 and 4S lists of men for |
military service numbering. respectively 8, |
10, lO3, 81 and l6, or total of 1866.
MEDICAL STUDENTS NOT YET FREED |
Exemption OF medical students and in |
ternes will not be effective until some time |
later, when the Adjutant General at Wash |
ington will have arranged with draft boards |
to provide for dischargng these men. |
Many now with the initial contingents, |
and probably those soon to 60 will have TO |
be patient awaiting arrangements for send
Ing them back to their studies, the Adju- |
tant Generals office states
The seeming contradictory action follow
ing the order of the President exempting |
medical students and internes has been |
caused, 1t is said, through failure of the |
Washington draft officials to send necessary |
blanks to the draft boards to permit of the |
proper exemption claims being filed in time |
TO prevent going to the training camps.
Decision Of the military officials as to |
whether they will accept for military serv-
ice person convicted Of violating the Fed |
eral laws Is keeping Albert Buck Meyers |
in suspense between Jail and the trenches |
He pleaded guilty to two indictments before |
Judge Thompson in the Federal Court YES
terday charging him with possession of |
opium and its smoking accouterments and |
with having opium In his possession as a |
dealer. Judge Thompson is waiting to hear
from the mlltray officials.
II Judge Thompson receives a favorable
answer from the military officials, he will |
impose nominal sentence, in order that |
Meyers might soon be released to report for |
duty. He was supposed TO report last Sat |
urday TO entrain for Camp Meade but he !
was surrendered by his bondsmen on Fri I
Gay on the charges preferred by Revenue
Agents oyler and Beach.
PATTERSON ASKS EXEMPTION
Joseph NJ. Patterson, son-ln-law of George
II. Earle, Jr., Is seeking exemption from
military service on the grounds that his
wife, formerly Miss Hansell French Earle,
and child are solely dependent upon him
for support. His local draft board in Mont
gomery county has asked him to submit
statements from Mr.. Earle and from his
father as to whether either one is prepared
to support Mrs. Patterson and her child II
her husband goes to war.