The midland journal., 1917-08-17

tfOn boards, at joint meetlng neld
at the request of the Provost Marshal
General, for the purpose of securing
uniformity of decision in the same
classes of cases, to consider requests
with respect to industrial exemptions,
adopted resolution offered by Robert
Moss instructing the chairman of the
three boards to prepare a statement
in accordance with the resolution for
publication. The statement made by
Edwin G. Baetjer, w. Laird Henry and
Robert Moss is as follows:
The decisions of the three Maryland
Exemption boards will be governed by
the following considerations and made
in accordance with the following
rules:
1, The selection of men for mill
tary service is not made by the
exemption Board; this was done by the
Act of Congress and the class selected
includes every person between 81 and
80 years of age.
Exemptions or relief from the call
for service are not granted as con-
sideration for the support of depend
ents or as privilege of certain indus
trial or agricultural vocations; they
are not granted in the interest of any
individual or vocation, but solely in
the interest of the nations military
and industrial efficiency; and of the
two the military is the more import
ant factor.
2. Exemption boards can have no
policy of their own; the policy is de-
fined by Congress- Neither severity
nor leniency can have any place in
their judgment They have the right
only to be just-just not only to the
man affected by the exemption claim
ed, but to the man substituted for him
by the exemption granted. An i'm
properly granted exemption does not
merely wrongfully relieve the appli-
cant of his duty, but wrongfully puts
another in his place. The Army
quota must be filled and the discharge
or exemption of the fit on the earlier
applications involves the acceptance
of those older and less fitted for serv-
ice on the later ones and involves,
therefore, constantly decreasing stand
ard of military efficiency and fitness
of the men drafted.
The board can be guided, therefore
by single rule, that is, administer
the rules prescribed by Congress and
the Presidents regulations justly, so
that every one called to the colors can
respond in the confidence that his call
was fair.
8. Appeals - Any applicant, or the
government, may appeal from the ad-
verse decision of the local board. The
government is obliged by law to ap-
peal in all cases in which an exemp-
ton is granted on account of depend
ents. The government is authorized
to file such additional afidavits in op-
position to the supporting affidavits as
it may deem necessary and the board
is authorized to make such inquiry as
they may deem necessary to ascertain
the facts stated in the supporting afi-
davit
A. Industrial Claims-These are de-
fined by the Acts of Congress as fol-
lows:
Persons engaged in industries, in
cluding agricultural, found to be ne
cessary to the maintenance of the
military establishment or the effective
operation of the military forces or the
maintenance of national interest dur
ing the emergency"
While this language is general the
classification has been further defined
by regulations promulgated by the
President and by the rulings of the
Provost Marshal General.
The following are extracts from the
most recent rulings of the national au-
thorities:
1.-TWO things are to be accomplished
Ito raise armies; to maintain indus
tries. Any considerable diminution of
man power must interfere to some ex-
tent with industry. The success of
the nations military operation is the
dominant object to which the conser-
walton of certain industries is related
as one means necessary to that end"
The question in each individual case
Is, therefore, always twofold:
First-Is the industry in question
necessary to the maintenance of the
military establishment, the military
forces or the national interest during
the war?
This does not mean that a person
engaged in particular industry or
agricultural enterprise is to be dis
charged by reason of the fact that
such class of industry, taken as a
whole, or agriculture, taken as a
whole, is necessary for the national
interest; but that the particular enter
prise is one of exceptional necessity.
Second-The second question in
volved is: Does the person claiming to
be exempt occupy such a position in