The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1917-08-28
ABSOLUTE DEPENDENCY
BASIS FOR EXEMPTION
wilson Doesn't Like Idea of Forcing
Married Women to Make Own
Living

graphed to all governors tonight a
supplemental explanation OF reguia-
tions governing the status of married
men under the selactive service law.
No change is made, and the purpose
of the new statement is to clear mis-
understandings which have arisen IN
what General Crowder describes as "A
fw instances"
In a letter to Secretary Baker, Pres
jdent Wilson states his opinion tina.
the regulation requiring local boaros
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 supplementing statement Is
designed merely to make the appli-
cation of the rules uniform among an
boards.
While the statement regarding mar
ried men was in preparation, orders
were issued changing entirely the
mobilization arrangements previously
made. Congestion of rail traffic and
the necessity of making better pro-
vision for the reception of the men
at the cantonments dictated the
changes.
Followin is the text of the message
sent to tre governors, dealing witr
the status of msrried men, prepared
at a conference late today between
Secretary Baker and Gen. Crowder.
Message to Governors
GA feeling has been expressed that,
in issuing claims for discharge on
the ground of dependents, local boards
ought, in no case, to refuse a. dis
charge to a married man or to the
head of family. The law under
which local boards act requires that,
before such a discharge can be grant
ed, dependency as well as relation.
ship must be established The matter
having been presented to- the pres1-
dent, the following are his orders
thereon:
"eWe ought as far as practicable
to raise this new national army
without creating the hardships nee
esarily entailed when the head of a
family is taken, and I hope that for
the most part those occepted on the
first call will 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 exemp-
ton and there are undoubtedly mary
cases within the age limits fixed oy
law of men who are married and yet
whose accumulation or other eco-
nomic surroundings are such that 10
dependence of the wife exists in ract.
Plainly the law does not contemplate
exemption for this class of men.
Not to Be AbrogatedA
".The regulation promulgated on
June 4, 1917, should be regarded as
controlling in these cases, and the
orders issued under that regulation
directing exemption boards to estao-
lish the fact of dependents In addI-
tion to the fact of marriage, ought not
to be abrogated.
"The attention of this Office has been
invited to the fact that in few i9-
stances local boards have certified to
district boards as held for military
sarvice men whose families are ac-
tually dependent upon them for sup
port on the theory that the wife Is
able to- work and should be put to
the necessity of going to WORK 20
support herself and children. This
situation is stressed in the finding
Of the district board of New York
City in which opinion this office con-
ours, with the understanding that the
phres support available from rela-
tive is support partial or total pre-
viously extended to the applicant
himself
eve don't concur in the view sug-
gested in some quarters that, in case
of wife and children actually depend
ent 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 fide
dependency Of wife and children on.
labor of applicant, where in his ah-