Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1917-08-03
PLAY NO FAvOR|TES"
CROWDER ADVISES
PROVOST MARSHAL GENERAL
TELLS LOCAL BOARDS TO
BE IMPARTIAL.

Local draft boards must Judge
claims before them dispassionately
there must be no exercise of SYM
pathy, affection or favoritism.
Thus Provost Marshal General
CrOwder counseled in letter sent all
local boards on the eve Of drawing
the national army. At the same
time President Wilson issued an ex.
ecutive order cautioning government
departments against certifying en-
ployes for exemption as indispen-
sable, unless they are actually inval-
liable.
| In closing, he added a note of
warning to all industrial interests.
asking that they exercise the same
conscientious and scrupulous caution
to the end lest there appear to be
favored or exempted classes among
citizens called by law to the national
defense"
Must Be ImpersOnal.
sacrifice is demanded from every
one, and that all cases should be
viewed without respect to a boards
personal sympathies or affections.
ut will strengthen you to remem
ber," Crowder wrote, that for every
exemption or discharge that is made
for individual convenience. or to es-
cape physical loss of money or prop
erty, or for favor or affection, some
other man whose time would not
otherwise have come must incur the
risk of losing his life. There can be
no room for hesitation in such 4
case"
General Crowder's letter follows.
"To the members of the local
boards:
| you are entering on a difficult
task. the gravity Of which is beyond
anything that can be said in the way
of discussion.
"War demands individual sacrifice
to the common cause. No people
ever approached war with calmer
appreciation of that sacrifice or
frmer resolve to bear it and to pre-
sent themselves to be classified for
service in the place to which it shall
serve the common good to call them.
This calm determination could
not exist were it not for the conf
dence of the nation in its institutions.
The most equitable rules that could
be devised have been prescribed for
guidance and the administration of
these rules and the sacrifice that is
offered by your neighbors is entrust-
ed to your hands.
From every one is demanded a
sacrifice. But there is one thought
to be kept always in your mind. The
selected man offers his life. There
| is no greater giving than this; and
that thought should guide You
always.
Not q Court.
Another fundamental thought is
| this: You are not court for the
adjustment of differences between
two persons In a controversy. You
are agents for the government, en-
gagged in selecting men for the gov
eminent and there is no controversy.
You, acting for the government, are
to Investigate cases in the interests
80 49, uctScu ouA uoxo~ ~ tho }udf.
vidual. There is not one exemption
or discharge In the law or regulations
that is put there for the benefit OF
any individual.
/ Therefore, no one has the vested
right. by himself or by attorney, to
urge by argument or pleading his in
dividual case upon you. You should
rigidly exclude sentiment. Ordina.
rily you should act on affidavits. II
you desire more information you
may proceed to get 1t. But no claim
ant has the right to submit other
proof than that called for by regula-
lions or than you may call for"
Indicating that he practices what
he breaches, General Crowder the
other day refused to exempt his own
stenographer. He also issued rul-
ing that all employees Of the state and
federal governments, except the ex-
ecutive heads of departments and
members of the legislature and the
courts. are subject to military serv-
ice and will not be exempted.