The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-11-19
DRAFTED MEN WITH
APPEALS PENDING
SUBJ: CT TO CALL
Status Decided by QUESTIONABLE
Without Reference 10 Previous
Standing With Regard to
Exemption.

Washington, Nov. fs-Men who
have been drafted and have appeals
from the decisions Of the local board
pending will have their cases auto
matically thrown of the boards by
new ruling OF Provost Aarshal-Gen-
eraI Crowder in connection with the
complete revision Of the draft regu-
lat.ons.
Major Easy-smith, legal expert Of
General Crowder's STAFF. who with
Colonel Hugh johnson did most OF
The work In revising and 'reorganiz-
ing the draft system, today explained
that all such appeals Will automat-
GALL ceAAe -n-eA.-.t-- The man R1il
be returned TO his original status
that is. TO the position he was in be-
fore being called before the draft
board. lie will be sent question
Baige. IL his replies to the queries
to that booklet indicate that he
should be granted the deferred classi-
Is nade-he viii be SO classified by
the board SHOULD the board decide,
however. that he belongs in class l,
sabiect to immediate CALL he viii be
so notified and viii have the right
OF appealing to the district board for
such deferred classification.
The text of the new rule whereby
the secretary Of war In authorized to
draft into Immediate service for spe-
cisl duty any man believed from the
record to be qualified for SUCH duty
p sva- 81 els fJxerR fIFvs
his order number In the draft is
ceuched iu the widest terms. As given
tout by the provost marshal general. Il
follows.
THE deferred classification Of ex-
perts and men highly skilled In In
duStry or agriculture Is intended TO
prevent The waste incident 10 Undue
tinn into military service of men
whose special qualifications render
them more valuable to the national
interest in some other capacity,
There are, however, circumstances
( in which the need or the military
establishment for men expert or
highly skilled is such that the ma
tioual interest is better served by in
! ducting such men into military ser
vice than by leaving them engaged in
I industry or agriculture. In such cir
cuustances neither deferred classifi
cation on the ground Of engagement
I trf industry TT agriculture ~uu- ttrr ur=
der mum bers heretofore assigned by
! lot can be permitted TO defer the call
/ of such men into military service"
The praxost- marshal genaral made
clear today that because the new
regulations provide that men not
com pleteIy crippled may be held sub
tect for special army service and will
mot be exempted this does not mean
that the army proposes to I'LL up its
ranks behind the lines and on routes
| OF communication with semi-dfs-
qualified men. Such men will be put
practically In a special class and can
be called only under special and
specific summons for men dts6uaii-
fed for general military service, but
qualified for special service.
This ruling applies TO thousands OF
men suffering from fiat feet and
similar minor deformities which
would disqualify them from field ser
vice, but which would not interfere
with them operating army motor cars
and other such work, or on line OF
communication duty, IT also applies
to men under weight beyond the pos
sible entrance allowances or whose
state of health, as verified by physi-
clans, would render them unayail-
able for service in hard weather.
/ Under the previous system thou
sands OF exemptions were granted on
these grounds. These are now ali
cancelled and the men will have ia
again undergo physical examination
not only at the hands of the local
board examiners, but by special
medical board of seven as well.
In order to eliminate all waste OF
time in handling the draft, physical
examinations Will be the last work to
be taken up under the new system.
Each man will be card-indexed and
classified, regardless of his physical
condition, in accordance with hts an
swers as to his economic status.
Only when he Is actually called for
service In the order of his classified
ton and draft number" will he be
put under physical examination. The
old system called for the physical ex-
animation first and in thousands OF
eases boards had to examine men
such as ministers, federal officials and
other legal exempts before dealing
with ether aspects of their cases.
This process is now reversed. and
where In the past a board might
have TO examine twenty five men be-
fore It could secure one subject to
service. 1t now has only to refer to its
records and call that one.