The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1917-08-27
Fact of Dependents Rather
Than Fact of Marriage
Basis of Exemption
STATEMENT ISSUED
AT WILSON'S REQUEST
Only 5 Per Cent Will Be
Started For The Camps
On Sept. 5
(By Assoe1ated Press.l }

w asnlnSton, aug. II. AT Ine
direct suggestion of President Will
son, Provost Marshal General
Crowder telegraphed to all governors
Saturday night a supplemental
explanation of regulations governing
the status of married men under the
selective service law. No change in
regulations is made and the purpose
of the new statement is to clear up
MISUNDERSTANDING which have arisen
in what General Crowder describes
as "a few instances"
In a letter to Secretary Baker,
quoted by General Crowder, Presi-
dent Wilson states his opinion that
the regulation directing local boards
to establish the fact of dependents
in addition to the fact of marriage
ought not to be .abrogated." This
leaves the regulations as they are
and the supplementary statement is
designed merely to make the applica-
tion of the rules uniform among all
boards.
New Orders Issued.
While the statement regarding
married men was in preparation new
orders were issued, changing entire
ly the mobilization arrangements
previously made. Congestion of rail
traffic and the necessity of making
better provision for the reception of
the men at the cantonments dictated
the changes.
Under the new orders 5 per cent
of the white men, preferably those
with military experience from each
local area will be started forward to
the camps Sept. 5, instead of so per
cent. They will go in FIVE daily de-
tachments Of equal size and form
skeleton company organizations and
set up a going concern into which
the remainder of the quota can be
absorbed without confusion as they
reach the cantonments.
The next 40 per cent of the quota
will go forward Sept. 10 when the
second 80 per cent originally was
scheduled to go forward; a second
40 per cent will go forward Oct. 3,
instead of the third 80 per cent and
the remaining Is per cent will be
called up as soon thereafter as
practicable.
Local boards are directed to dis
regard orders Of liability numbers to
some extent in selecting the first 5
per cent as men of experience, such
as cooks and former soldiers are
desired at that time. Warning is
given, however, against getting into
this levy by reason of past expert
ence any man who might not other
increment of,the district at all.
Status of Married Men.
Following is the text of the mes
sage sent to the governors dealing
with the status of married men, pre-
pared at a conference between Secre-
tary Baker and General Crowder:
"A feeling has been expressed that
in passing on claims for discharge
on the grounds of dependents, local
boards ought, in no case to refuse a
discharge to a married man or to the
head of a family. The law under which
local boards operate, requires that be-
fore such a discharge can be grant
ed, dependency as well as relation
ship must be. established. The mat
ter having been presented to the
president. the following are his
orders thereon:
1--WE ought, as far as practicable
to raise this new national army
without creating the hardships
necessarily entailed when the head
of a family is taken and / hope that
for the most part those accepted in
the first call would be found to be
men who had not yet assumed such
relations.
The selective service law makes
the fact of dependents, rather than
the fact of marriage the basis for
exemption and there are undoubtedly
many cases within the age limits
fixed by law of men who are married
and yet whose accumulations or 9TH
err economic surroundings are such
that no dependency of the wife exists
in fact. Plainly, the law does not
contemplate exemption for this class
Of men.
"'The regulations promulgated on
a q
controlling in these cases and the
orders issued under that regulation
directing exemption boards to es-
tablish the fact of dependents in
addition to the fact Of marriage
ought not to be abrogated.'
Some Injustice Done.
"The attention Of this Office has
been invited to the fact that in a
few instances. local boards have
certified to district boards as held
for military service, men whose
families are actually dependent upon
them for support on the theory that
the wife is able to work and should
be put to the necessity Of going to
work to support herself and chill
dren. This situation is addressed in
the following opinion of the district
board of New York city in which
opinion this Office concurs, with the
understanding that the phrase sup
port available from relative is sup
port partial or total previously ex-
tended to the applicant himself:
1--WE do not concur in the view
suggested in some quarters that in
case of wife and children actually
dependent on applicants labor for
support. and where there are no 9TH
er means of support the wife should
be put to the necessity of going to
work to support herself and children.
Bona f1de dependency OF wife and
children on labor OF applicant where
in his absence they will be left with
out reasonably adequate support, |
after duly taking into consideration |
soldiers wage and support available |
from relatives. as stated in the ruiz
ings of the provost marshal general, |
is ground of discharge
Paragraph b., compiled rulings OF |
this office No. 6. addressed state of |
affairs where the parents or other |