Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-09-21
PROBE EXEMPTIONS
WHOSE FAIRNESS IS
MATTER Of DOUBT
Cases viii Be Reopened Where
There Is Question of Dis
elimination. and Complaints
Are Made in Georgia .

Steps to guarantee beyond any vestige
Of doubt the validity and absolute Jus
tice Of every exemption granted in
Georgia, even If it becomes necessary
to reopen every individual case, will be
taken Immediately by the adjutant gen.
erals office
The action will be in accordance with
telegraph directions received Thursday
afternoon from Provost Marshal General
Crowder, and under authority invested
by General Crowder
The investigation is in response to
complaints from many sections Of Geor-
gia that in identical cases one man has
been discharged and the other certified
for service.
Consequently, no man, even If he has
been discharged by the district board,
may feel absolutely certain that his dis
charge is final If there is any element
OF doubt as to whether, in the press of
hearing claims, he was exempted with
out being thoroughly entitled to It.
$50 far as Georgia is concerned" said
Major Joel B. Mallet Of the Office Of
Acting Adjutant General II. j. Daniel,
this is going to be a truly selective
army"
1t was pointed out that IT is mani
testify impossible and unnecessary to re-
open cases where there is no doubt as
to the Justification Of exemptions. How
ever. where any complaint is registered
against an exemption, the case will be
gone over again, probed TO the bottom
and scrutinized in every detail.
MANY TO BE RECONSTRUCTED.
oh
many cases will be reopened, because of
the fact that already complaints have
been made both in Georgia and in Wash
ington.
General CrowdeTs telegram says, in
part:
Cases in which boards have granted
exemptions without proper authority,
you must proceed at once to require the
appeal agents to appeal these cases.
You must require the boards to enter
vigorous revision of their action in
cases where they have granted exemp-
ton without proper authority"
The appeal agents referred to are men
who have been appointed in every coun-
ty to see that the government gets a
square deal. The appeals they already
have made have been, in most cases.
simply formalities. Now, however, the
appeals and reappeals will take the
form OF the closest scrutiny Of every
case, and every case will be gone over
a second time If there is any reason,
through complaints or otherwise, to be-
heve it should be reopened.
The first step will be to reopen the
cases where complaints have been made
by citizens. Citizens generally will be
expected to cooperate to the extent of
asking that cases be reopened where
they have reason to believe that such
action should be taken. 1t will devolve
Upon the public generally to help see
that the new army plan is truly selec-
tive.
All complaints will, of course, be
treated az confidential. When the COM
plants are registered it will be abso-
lutely necessary for the authorities to
appeal again cases where discharges
have been granted on account of de-
tendency and where there is reason to
believe decisions have been improper.
NO GENERAL CRITICISM
This step does not mean that local
and district boards have been wilfully
and deliberately neglecting their duty
The boards all have been working under
great pressure and it is obvious that
been made. The boards have authority
to correct these mistakes.
In some sections there is an under
current of feeling that some boards
have been unjust. This new step will
give them oportunity to set themselves
right and to correct unwilling errors
1t is pointed out by officials that the
move to see that the government gets
an absolutely square deal Is also a step
toward seeing that all regdstrants get
justice. since every man exempted
draws some other man nearer the army
One woman from a part of Georgia
that obviously cannot be mentioned,
since it is not believed that board inten-
tionally acted unJustly. said: My hus-
band has been certified for service, while
the husband of a neighbor in precisely
the same condition has been discharged"
The neighbours case will. therefore. be
gone into again.
For the man who has been certified
the law has made every provision, and
he also may have his case reheard, since,
according to Washington dispatches,
General Crowder has directed that, in
response to appeals, the governor may
direct that cases be reopened.
1t is not expected that people will reg
lister complaints unless they are NOR
ally certain that the men exempted
should be in the army. The government
simply wants to see that there is abso-
lutte justice.
In connection with the appeals Cen
eral Crowder points out that If local
boards have made mistakes resulting in
hardship there is appeal to the dis
trict board.
also" he says, both local and dis
trict boards may reopen cases in which
they are in error up to the time the
claimant is actually ordered into mill
tary service"
Such action is to satisfy and do jus
tice to the man who feels he has been
unjustly called. On the other hand,
1ox
justice to the government and
all individuals. the new step will settle
cases where an improper exemption
works hardship.