Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-08-28
Bitter Feeling Against James
Whitesides Displayed; Owen
Recorded Among Those Who
Urged Exemption.
Special TO The World.

Special 10 The World,
MUSKOGEE, Okla. Aug. 2I.-E|
forts to have the exemption case OF
James f. Whitesides reopened came
to n head tonight when several hun
dred angry citizens assembled In a
mass meeting adopted resolutions dis
, approving of the district boards ac-
ton in relieving the young oil million
aire of military obligations.
Whitesides was condemned roundiS
by speaker after speaker Many
called attention to the fact that when
his original plea for exemption was
filed with the west side board IL was
based on the dependent wife" clause
in the draft regulations. When the
case went before the district boaiD
the application for exemption was
made and was granted on the inous-
trial claim
Bitterness Displayed.
I'D die here before I'd go ~
Europe with the army" said one in
dignant speaker. If Jim Whitesides
is allowed to hide behind his milnoh'
and stay safely at home"
Men with sons in the army spoke
Much bitterness was shown. Most oi
this hard feeling was directly aimed al
Wh!tesides. Little feeling was eA
pressed against the board. The speak
ers seemed agreed that simply mis-
/ take had been made which ought |,
be corrected.
In the resolutions adopted by th'
meeting by unanimous vote 1t wal
charged that Whitesides was 'incon-
sistent' because OF changing his plea
from dependent wife" to the indus
Il ....l .,sta sl.Ha
there are many men right here In ok
lahoma capable of taking Whtesldcs
place as an oil producer.
Railroad Men Protest.
Bitter feeling against Whtesble!
| was shown when several speaker
mentioned an accident about 81
months ago In which Whiteside'
! figured. on that occasion Whitesdes
driving a high-powered automobile
ran down and killed a railroad man
He was arrested on a murder charge
| but the case was later dismisscu
There were many railroad men at thu
mass meeting tonight. and the fou
local brotherhood organizations adopt
ed resolutions condemning White
sides and the district board. All thu
resolutions were sent to the distric
board and to Governor Williams.
Evidence on which the distric
granted Whitesides exemption wa
disclosed for publication today for th
first time The board gave out sew
eral letters from prominent busInes
and professional men in which the ex
emption of the young oil millionaire
was urged.
Owen Urges Exemption.
| United States Senator Robert l.
Owen, probably the most popular po
litcal figure in Oklahoma's hlsrory
was one Of the men to plead White
| sides cause Senator owen said II
! his letter that he had never me
Whitesides and knew nothing of hin
personally.
Senator owen said, however, tha
he thot a man with the oil develop
ncnt in progress that Whitesides ha
should be left at home. The senate
pointed out the governments dir
need of gasoline and petroleum
products. Senator owen said that I
was to be hoped that the Untet
States would not make the grave mis-
take that Great Britain and Franc
have made OF sending men needed 81
badly at home to the front. lie SAT-
this had proved one of the most seri
Gus errors of the war.
ID. n. Fink. president OF the Com
mercial National bank; w. NJ. Etc
holtz, president of the Greater -:us
kogee association; II. II. Ogden, H. r
Gibson, banker and capitalist, and
ID. Sweeney, cashier of the CONNER
cial National bank, were amoni
others writing the board in behalf o
| Whitesides.