Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-08-04
lOUTHPAW
DRAFT ACID TEST
karge Proportion of Men
Examined Answer Physi-
cal Requirements
TEN BOARDS AT WORK
In 10th District 81 of SO Con-
scripts Go Through With
Flying Colors

y
passed more than 10 of the conscripts.
Every one OF these men passed the acid
tests OF the doctors and In numbers greatly
exceeded those who did not measure up TO
the physical requirements.
That majority of the city's youth Is en-
G0wed with sufficient strength TO take
place In the battle trenches OF France Is
apparent from reports submitted by the
various boards. At the Tenth District head
quarters in the Front and Master streets
police station ffty-one men were accepted
against twelve who were rejected Ihis
proved to be the banner district In the city
Tor the number OF conscripts passed put
how many of these men will file claims Tor
exemption will not be known until Monday.
At the For,y-ffth district eight men were
accepted and seven were rejected while the
Twenty eighth district passed fourteen and
rejected eight. In the Forty-fourth district
twenty-three men were accepted and ten re-
5ected Examining physicians said that
more than sixty men out OF every one nun
dred examined met the physical require
ments prescribed by the War Department.
This Is an exceptional average and is
probably due to the large number OF aliens
who underwent the tests. Virtually all OF
these men proved to be Of sturdy stock and
passed the doctors with flying colors.
PROBLEMS HARD TO SOLVE
That serious trouble concerning exemp-
tions will develop unless the War DEPART
ment sends definite instructions to draft
boards was predicted today by Caspar NJ
Titus. chairman of Philadelphia Draft Dis
trict Thrty-four, which comprises the
Thirty-fifth and Forty-nrst Wards.
Titus asserted that recent attempts to
modify the rules and regulations already
In the hands of draft board members for
the purpose of rounding up so-calied mar
ried slackers" are confusing and liable to
interfere with the draft machinery.
Although the draft boards are trying to
unravel the complications OF the exemption
rules, they are not overlooking the fact that
an army must be raised and got down to
that work with unusual vim today. Sow
oral boards today entered the list OF those
examining recruits and before noon ten
boards were determining the physical ht-
ness Of the conscripts
The boards performing this work and
their locations are as follows: First Dis
trict, police station at 1907 Moyamensing
avenue; Seventh District, Fifteenth and
Vine streets police station; Sixth District
Twelfth and Pine streets police station;
Second District. Seventh and Carpenter
streets police station; Twenty-ffth District
Third and Dickinson streets police station
Tenth District, Front and Master streets
police station Twenty ninth District, Twen-
tieth and Berks streets police station:
Eighteenth District, Frankford police sta
tion; Forty-ifth District, branch Tax
Office. Germantown avenue and Tioga
street
CHANGES CAUSE CONFUSION
THE rules and regulations governing tht
exemption claims of conscripts are very
plain" said Titus. by applying the rule
of common we will be able TO inter-
pret them and treat all claims fairly. but
n the rules are to be changed 1t will be
very difficult for any board to know just
where II stands or how to grant exemptions.
Personally propose to follow the rules
and regulations that were sent to me by
the War Department. By doing so every
married man who proves that he has de-
pendents can claim exemption and IL n strict
Interpretation of the rules Is made the
board has no other alternative than to
grant the exemption. In the last week
there has been considerable discussion con-
cerning certain types of married men ana
particularly those who have married re-
Gently II would appear that men who have
married within a month cannot escape the
draft. As interpret the draft rules, these
men have the same claim to exemption as
the man who has been married five years
and 30 far as my board is concerned will
get It,"
QUESTION OF DEPENDENCY SIMPLE
Explaining the draft rules governing the
exemption Of married men. Mr.. Titus said:
THE problem Of exemption SINNERS down
to the question Of dependency. II a man
proves that he is married and that his wife
Is dependent upon him for support that man
can claim exemption and get It,
'One case which has been brought to light
disclosed that conscript married a girl
OF worthless character. 1t was apparent
that the girl was not worthy Of her hus-
band and should not receive support. but
Major Charles B. Warren. one Of the draft
officials. held that we could not consider that
phase Of the case. Major Warren held that
the man had right to marry the girl and
that he is entitled to exemption IL he proves
that he is supporting her.
"Another case disclosed that a conscript
entered into a hasty marriage few days
after the enactment of the draft law. Now,
Il would appear that this man Is trying to
hide behind the skirts of his wife In order
to avoid the draft. but We cannot prove it.
As In other cases. we must consider the
question of dependency and nothing else
We have no right TO stigmatize the marriage
or cast any reflections upon the characters
Of these people"
woRKINGMENS CLAIMS
The Thirty-fourth District covers the
mill sections Of Kensington and Tacony. and
scores Of married women work I'm the mills
That these women earn good wages raises
. doubt concerning their right to claim ex-
emption for their husbands. Mr. Titus.
when discussing this phase OF the draft,
made II plain that these women are en-
titled to the same consideration as women
who remain at home.
Let us take the case of a married
woman who makes $40 a week. She claims
exemption for her husband. who makes $40
. week Now, under the draft rules we
have no right to ask her how much money
she gets from her husband or what she does
with the money she earns This woman
has right to claim that she iB dependent
upon her husband for support and we must
take her word for 1t. Because a woman
chooses to help her husband does not imply
that she is Independent. because she NAV
be supporting an aged father or mother.
Briefly. II Is her money, and that is an
issue with which we not concerned
* "According to the draft rules there is
but one type of married man who cannot
claim exemption. and that is the man whose
wife has private income of>sufrIcient size
% support her"
"a There are 27ss men registered in m.
Ihirty-fourth District and $50 of that num-
&er are aliens and entitled to exemntion
Our exemptions will be very heavy" said
~ Titus, because OF the number OF mar-
~ men. A vast majority are poor ana
tYe children These men have a right m
nin exemptlon and the board must grant