New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-24
Enemies Within
lnciting Draft
Men to Resist
Through Appeal
Why The Tribune Did Not
Print A. u. A. Ms Let
ter Of Denial

On Tuesday, September is, The Irib-
unc printed dispatch from its Wash
ington correspondent telling how the
American Union Against Militarism had
been attempting to mobilize conscien-
tious objcc,ors by means of circulars
and letters, and how the postal author
tiles had intcrfcred to stop the distri-
button of its offending literature. The
lribune's correspondent quoted the
salient paragraph Of a circular which
the Postoffice Department had inter
ccptcd on it, way to drafted objectors,
and then added
"This circular was sent out With
letter which advised conscientious
obiectors of the various steps they
could 90 through 10 obtain exemption
from military service, beginning with
a claim filed before the examining
board and proceeding through appeal
TO the district board TO an appeal to
the President. The last sentence in
the letter read:
"Tf this last appeal is refused
there is no one left to appeal to
but yo1TSef.'"
On Tuesday afternoon The Tribune
received letter from the Civil Liber-
ties Bureau of the American Union
Against Militarism, protesting against
The Tribune's Interpretation of the
evidence and challenging it definitely
on one statement Of fact, thus:
"The statement you quote, namely,
II this last appeal is refused there
is no one left to appeal TO but
pOurSClf.' does not appear in this or
any of our publications.
This specific denial was signed by
Roger n. Baldwin, director, and L.
Hollingsworth Wood, chairman, Of the
Civil Liberties Bureau of the Ameri-
can Union Against Militarism.
The Tribune row prints the very let
ter referred to by its correspondent:
CIVIL LIBERTIES BUREAU
OF THE
AMERICAN UNION AGAINST Mil
4
New York, September 4, 1917.
Mr. Everitt L. Rowland,
Grifithville, Arkansas.
Dear Mr.. Rowland:
Replying to your letter Of August
29th. asking for advice On draft pro-
cedure, I am ineloslng blanks- for
YOU 10 appeal your case from the
local board 70 the district board, IL
you have not already done SO.
These appeal blanks should be sent
10 the two boards within ten days Of
the date Of mailing Of your notice of
ccrtifcation 10 the district board
when claim for exemption has been
denied. State that you are farmer
with a crop on the one TO be sent 20
the district board.
Within 1--WE days after you file
these blanks get Forms Nos. 1870,
l30-a. 13O-b, from your local board.
Fill out and have filed out these
aTidavits and send them TO the dis
trict board.
In case your appeal is denied by
the district board, you will find an
other blank appeal TO the President
inClosed, which you can fill out and
file with the district board. II this
last appeal IS refused there is no
one left to appeal to bat yourself.
Let me know how your case pro-
crosses and how you come out. Sin
Cerely yours,
lSigned) JOHN BARTRAM KELLEY,
Assistant Director
This is offered to Messrs. Baldwin
and Wood as an explanation Of the fact
that The Tribune did not print their
injured letter to the editor, impunging
the integrity of its Washington CORE
spondent. "The New York Call" print
ed it, and made a point of the fact
that The Tribune did not.