Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-08-26
FroWns on Idea Wives Should
Support Families While
Husbands Fight.
FACT OF DEPENDENTS
BASIS FOR EXEMPTION
Gen. Crowder Announces Executive
Orders in Matter and Directs
Boards to Observe Them.

The Presidents orders relating to ex-
emptions of married men under the Sc
lective service law were made publc
last night by Brig. Gen. Enoeh H.
Crowder, provost marshal general Ihcv
bear out exactly the forecast of such
orders published yesterday and arc
drawn on the theory that bona fide de-
pendents should be the rule for allow
ing exemption claims. This is taken TO
mean that married men whose wives
and children actually are dependent on
their support should not be drafted INTO
the Army The announcement clears up
a situation that was fast creating wide
spread dissatisfaction. and has been the
subject Of correspondence between ad-
ministration officials and members of
Congress. particularly senators.
Views of Department.
In addition to quoting the Presi-
dents orders on the subject. Gen.
Crowder explains the attitude of the
War Department regarding the neces-
sity of wives going TO work to sup
port themselves and children when
their husbands have been drafted. The
department does not favor IL
The statement from Gen. Crowder
follows
Il. A feeling has been expressed that.
In passing on claims for discharge on
the ground of dependents. local boards
ought in no case. to refuse dlS-
charge to married man or TO the head
of a family. The law under which
local boards act requires that. before
such a discharge can be granted, de-
pendency as well as reiationship must
be established The matter having
been presented to the President the
following are his orders thereon:
We ought. far as practicable, TO
raise this new National Army without ere
ating the hardships necessarily entailed
when the head of a family is taken. and
hoped thas for the most part those &C
cepted in the first call would be found 10
be men who had not yet assumed sucn re-
lations.
The selective service law makes the
fact of dependents, rather than the fact
of marriage, the basis for exemption ana
there are. undoubtedly, many cases within
the age limits fixed by law OF men who
are married and yet whose accumulations
that no dependency of the wife exists in
fact Plainly. the law does not contem-
plate exemption for this class of men
:. The regulations promulgated on June
80 1917 should be regarded as controi-
ling in these cases. and the orders issued
under that regulation directing exemption
boards to establish the fact OF depend
ents. in addition to the fact OF marriage
ought not to be abrogated
Some Gases Cited.
"2 The attention of this Office has
been invited to the fact that. in few
Instances. local boards have certified
to District boards held for military
xt-hn ia mil l.
Iy 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
children. This situation is addressed
in the following opinion of the District
board of New York city. in which
opinion this Office concurs, with the un-
derstanding that the phrase support
available from relative is support. par
tial or total. previously extended to the
applicant himself.
I'VE do not concur in the view sug-
gested in some quarters that in case
of wife and children actually depend
enr on applicants labor for support.
and where there are no other means
of support. the wife should be put TO
the necessity of going TO work to sup
port herself and children. Bona fde
dependency of wife and children on
labor of applicant where in his absence
they will be left without reasonably
adequate support. after duly taking
into consideration soldiers wage and
support available from reatives, as
stated in the rulings of the provost
marshal general. is ground OF dis
charge
This opinion clearly and adequately
expressed the intent of the law in this
regard.
"3. Paragraph B. compiled rulings Of
this office number 6. addressed state OF
affairs where the parents other rela-
tives of the wife or husband are able
ready and willing adequately to support
the wife and children. If any during the
absence OF the husband. This ruling was
responsive to a class Of cases that had
been brought to the attention of this office
where claims of discharge had been made
the ground of dependency on 4 hus-
band, who, as matter OF fact was not
dependent upon himself. The ruling di-
rected the attention of local boards 10 the
fact that scrutiny OF cases of this kind
might disclose that no discharge was ad-
Sisable.