New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-31
Wilson Exempts
Young Doctors
From the Draft
DEGREES That Hospital In
ternes and Medical Stu
dents May Be Discharged

WASHINGTON, Aug. 3o.-President
Wilson decrced to-day that hospital in
ternes and medical students may be
exempted from military service under
the selective draft law. In this far
reaching decision the President acted
on suggestion made to him by Provost
Marshal General Crowder, responding
to a public demand for exemption of
young doctors in order that the public
might not be left unprotected from
disease.
The Presidents order permits the
men TO enlist in the reserve corps OF
the army thereby escaping the draft
The original measure submitted to Con-
gress contained a provision for ex-
empting medical students from service,
but Congress struck it out, leaving d.
vinity students the only exempted
group of this class.
The Presidents Order
The Presidents order, which was for
warded by General Crowder to-day to
governors of all the states, says:
Physiological internes who are
graduates of well recognized medical
schools or medical students in their
fourth, third or second year in any
we'll recognized medical school who
have not been called by local board
may enlist in the enlisted reserve corps
provided for by Section So Of the ma
tional defence act, under regulations to
be issued by the surgeon general, and
if they are called by local board they
may be discharged on proper claim pre-
scented on the ground that they are in
the military service of the United
States
"Second-A hospital inferno who is
a graduate of well recognized med
zeal school or a medical student in his
fourth, third or second year in any well
recognized medical school who has
been called by local board and phys
ically examined and accepted and by
or in behalf of whom no claim for ex-
emption or discharge is pending and
who has not been ordered TO military
duty may apply to the surgeon general
of the army to be ordered TO report at
once to a local board for military duty
and thus be indicted into the military
service of the United States, immedi-
ately thereupon to be discharged from
the National Army for the purpose Of
enlisting in the enlisted reserve corps
of the Medical Department.
Must Furnish Evidence
with every such request must be
inclosed copy Of the order of the
local board calling him to report for
physical examination, affidavit evidence
of the status Of the applicant as
medical student or inferno and an en-
gagement TO enlist in the enlisted re-
serve corps Of the Medical Department.
Upon receipt of such application
with the named Enclosures the surgeon
general will forward the case to the
adiutant general with his recommends
tions. Thereupon the adJutant general
may issue an order TO such inferno or
medical student TO report to his local
board for military duty on specified
date. in person, or by mail or tele-
graph as seems most desirable. This
order may issue regardless of the per-
sons order of liability for military
service. From and after the date so
specified such person shall be in the
military service of the United States.
He shall not be sent by the local board
to a mobilization camp, but shall re-
main awaiting the orders OF the ad-
jutant general Of the army. The ad-
jutant general may forthwith issue an
order discharging such person from the
military service for the convenience of
the government"