New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1917-07-27
HOW EXEMPTIONS
MUST Be HANDLED
BY The BOARDS
BIG WORK AHEAD OF THE
MEN WHO ARE TO PASS
ON THE QUALIFICATIONS
OF THE PROSPECTIVE
SOLDIER BOYS

Overshadowing nearly all else in
Importance is the matter Of exemp-
tions,. to be passed upon and decid.
ed by the county and federal dis
tricts boards. In order that the peo-
ple of New Mexico might have a
clear statement on the subject, The
War News has secured the follow
ing from Charles Springer, chairman
@: the executive committee of the
New Mexico Council of Defense:
There have been many inquiries re-
ceived as to how exemptions from
the sc)ective draft are to be deter
mined. The following is taken from
the rules and regulations prescribed
by the President under the Act OF
Congress approved May 49, 1917.
For New Mexico there will be a
local exemption board in each coun.
ty and probably two federal dis
trict boards. The local boards have
already been appointed and it is ex.
pectsd that the district boards will
be appointed this week.
boards To Notify
The local board will mail a notice
to each man drafted. requiring him
to appear on a certain day stated
in the notice for physical examina-
ton. If the man is absent from the
county or for any other reason can
not appear before the board on the
day mentioned in the notice, he
should Immediately make application
to the local board to be examined
before some local board in another
county, or, if he cannot appear on
account of sickness, he should I'M
mediately notify the board to that
effect.
The local board has authority to
discharge persons found to be physi-
cally deficient, according to forms
and regulations to be furnished by
the Government and they may also
exempt the following
Officers, legislative, executive or
judicial of the United States or of
the state.
County and municipal officers who
have been elected by popular vote
and whose offices cannot be filled
by appointment for unexpired terms.
Ministers of religion.
Students of divinity.
Persons in the military or naval
service of the United States.
Subjects of Germany residing in
the United States.
All other aliens who have not
taken out their first papers declar-
ing their intention to become citi-
zens of the United States.
Persons employed by the United
States in the transmission of the
mails.
Persons employed in the service
OF the United States in other depart
ments, upon affidavit being made by
the proper officer of the United
States stating that such persons are
necessary to the adequate and ef-
fective operation of the department
or branch of service in which they
are engaged.
With Dependent Families
Those in a status with respect to
persons dependent upon them for
support, which renders their exclu-
sion or discharge desirable. This
applies to any married man whose
wife or child is dependent upon his
labor for support, to a man who
has aged or infirm parents, or who
has one or more brothers or sisters,
who are dependent upon his labor
for support, or who has widowed
mother who is dependent upon his
labor for support.
The local board may also examine
or discharge those found to be moral
ly deficient, viz.,persons who have
been convicted of a felony.
The local board may also exempt
persons belonging to religious orga-
nizations, which existed prior to May
Is, 1917, whose creed and religious
convictions are against participation
in war in any form.
The claim on the registration card
that the person is entitled to exemp-
ton is not sufficient and claims for
exemption must be filed with the
local boards, supported by proper
affidavits by the person called or
some one in his behalf, on or before
the seventh day after the mailing
by the local board of the notice to
be given such person of his having
been called for service.
Appeals To District Board
Appeals from the decision Of the
local board may be made to the fed
eral district board, provided that not
ice to be given by the local board
to the person stating that his name
has been certified to the federal dis
trict board as one having been call
ed for service and not exempted or
The fact that a man is not able
to speak, read or write the English
language is not ground for exemp-
tion or discharge.
The local boards have no jurisdic-
tion to discharge or exempt any per-
son on account of his being engaged
in agriculture or other industry or
enterprise necessary to the mainten-
ance of the military establishment,
but all such questions will be de-
termined by the federal district
board
The mere fact that q person Is
engaged in agriculture or other ne
cessary industry will not of itself
entitle him to exemption. Each case
will be considered on its merits and
in order to entitle . person to ex-
on this ground il must be
esfahlished hv evideoCe 70 the sat-