New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-07
Two or Three Exemption
Boards Have Not Even
Mailed Notices
Need Central Control
p.norts From Only 81 of 1s9
Local Districts Received
by Conkling

yo,s Of the officials in charge Of
a. administration OF the draft law
!, greater New York could predict
,.a,rdsy how soon the city's quota
~ ss.s6s men for the National Army
,,ould be filled. Even the approx
mate date could not be foretold.
Presumably all but few of the 189
,.e.l exemption boards we're conduct
,ps the physical examinations of the
man drawn early in the draft, yet two
Ar three boards, it was reported, had
,ot even mailed notices TO the men to
\, called. As FIVE days notice must
h given, it will be the early part OF
,,xt week before any substantial start
can be made in the examination of the
wen in these dilatory districts. Even
~ the examinations are concluded. as
.,ns unlikely, by August Is, sffidavits
supporting exemption claims might be
sl,d as late as August rs by the men
last examined. In the event of ap-
pssls from the local boards decisions
these men need not file sffidavits with
Ii. appeal boards before September q,
vet the War Department has been hop
ing to order the men of the first Ma
tiOnsl Army 10 camp by August q.
May Be Mid-September
Unless there is a marked speeding up
in the machinery of the exemption
boards, it may be mid-September be-
fore the last man of the city's quota is
chosen.
The lack of central Office to which
the chairmen of the exemption boards
should, in the opinion of competent OBJ
servers, be required to report their
progress is becoming more and more
apparent. While it is presumed that
all but a few boards are proceeding
With the examinations, this is by no
means an assured fact. Reports from
only ninety-four of the 1s9 boards have
been made to the newspapers or to the
once of Deputy Attorney General
COnkling.
Nr. Conkling has attempted to find
ont what many of the boards are doing
BY making personal visits to their head
quarters, but it has been impossible
for him to get to more than about one
third of them, scattered as they are
over an area Of more than 800 square
miles.
More Notices Sent Out
On the other hand, a considerable
number of boards have reported rapid
progress. At least ten have examined
practically ell the men called last week
and have sent out additional notices.
Among these are Board lat, with head
quarters at $50 West l55th Street,
which has sent out a call for 600 men
in addition TO the 435 summoned a
week ago, and Board 1n1, at % Horatio
Street, which mas summoned 346 more
men. From its first group Of 346 only
fifty men passed the physical examina-
tion and waived exemption.
Other boards which have called ad-
dtional men and the number called are
15o. which has called 500; 1871, with
l5o called; So, 500 called; II. 200
called. and rs, 200 called Board 163,
With headquarters al Hunter College,
Lexington Avenue and SiXty-eighth
Street. will soon summon additional
men, its members said yesterday, add
ing that ejghty-nine notices among the
FIST lot Of 408 sent out a week ago
were returned by the postal authori-
ties, who had been unable to find the
men addressed
The banner board Of the city. accord
ing 10 The reports received TO date,
seems 20 be No. 40, located at Public
School 2, Third Avenue and Forty-sev-
enth Street, Brooklyn. It's quota is 22l.
It has accepted for service 208 men and