The Washington herald., 1917-12-01
WILL
WORK GRATIS :.
ON DRAFT Law
Local Attorneys Volunteer
to Help Task Of Complet-
ing Questionnaires.

In response to a call from the Le-
gal Advisory Board of the District of
Columbia. of which A. A. Hoehling,
jr.. Jesse C. Adkins and r. Sprigg
Perry are the permanent members,
many local attorneys assembled last
night in the auditorium of the George
town University Law School, Sixth
and E streets northwest, in connec-
ton with the matter of furnishing aid
in the classification of registrants for
the National Army of the United
States.
Eighty -four Volunteer.
Eighty-four of those present ex-
pressed a written acceptance to be-
come associate members OF the board,
which was appointed by President
Wilson under the selective service
regulations; eight notified Chairman
Hoehling by phone that they would
serve. 1t is hoped that every law
yer in town will act in like capacity.
The big meeting last night was
called to order by Mr.. Hoehling. who.
after explaining the objects of the
b.
magnitude of the work of classifying
all of those who have registered
throughout the United States between
the ages of p and 81 may be convey
cd by the fact that the total number
of men involved is probably in excess
of nine million throughout the coun-
try. and in the District alone over
thirty thousand. He thereupon intro
Tnvtnufnn Chief
Justice of the Supreme Court of the
District, who spoke at length to the
members of the local bar. post-grad-
yates and undergraduate students of
the Georgetown University thronging
the auditorium.
Justice COvInEton Speaks.
In urging members Of the bar to
aid the Advisory Board so that here
after work of the provost marshal
generals department will be simpli-
fed in carrying out the purpose of the
selective draft, Chief Justice COving-
ton said:
The questions that are to be put
to these men are many; they are
necessarily in complex form. The ac-
curacy OF those answers, their full
ness and fTankness. will go far to-
ward the doing Of two things: sim
pl!fying the work Of the already over
burdened War Department and vastly
aiding in the impartial selection OF
the men who are to go forward TO
win the battle for Democracy, and
thus justify the undying principle OF
the original selected draft act"
In keeping with this spirit Chief
Justice Covington declared that II
necessary the associate justices of his
court and himself would feel con-
strained to take perhaps an entire ad-
journment in order to give the entire
services of the local bar to the work
AT hand, n declaration that aroused
great applause from the assemblage.
Maj. Gen. Crowder, L. S. A. was
then introduced to say something
about the actual work of the selec-
tive draft. going into details upon the
subject. In the course of his re-
marks Gen. Crowder paid high COM
pliment to Col. johnson, his cxecu-
tive officer, and MAJ. Easby-Smith.
now a member of tho executive staff
of the War Department.
Mr. Easby-Smith closed the meet
ing with definition of the legal
phases of the draft situation. as out
lined in the regulations, and adjourn
mcnt was taken with the understand
ing that a definite form of action will
he taken as soon as the list of local
attorneys has been made complete
by the tender of services.