, 1917-07-12
WILSON GIVES OUT
RULES FOR DRAFT
President Insists on Equality in
the New Army.
BE FEARLESS AND IMPARTIAL
A~dmonition to Exemption Boards
Asks Greatest ImpartiaIity and
Least Personal Hardship
Each Case on Its Merits.

Washington. d. C.-Regulations to
govern the next step toward selecting
a national war army from the mil
lions registered for service on June 5,
were Issued at the direction Of Presi-
dent Wilson. They leave to be pre-
scribed later the manner of determin-
ing the order of liability of the men
registered, but set forth In great de-
tall the method of arriving at exemp-
lions and the work generally of the
local and district boards already
named to carry out the task.
Exemption regulations add little to
the terms Of the draft law, the ques-
ton Of whether a man between the
ages Of twenty-one and thirty Is en-
titled to exemption because of depend
ents. the nature of his occupation or
physical unftness being for the boards
to decide after proper investigation. 1t
Is made clear, however. that there are
to be no class exemptions and that
each individual case must be decided
upon Its merits. The local boards
one for each county Of less than AS
900 population or city of 10000. with
additional boards where necessary for
each additional 10000 population-wil
pass upon claims for exemption. ex-
cept those based upon Industrial or
agricultural occupation. subject to ap-
peals to the district boards. All
cases involving agricultural or indus
trial exemptions will be passed upon
by the district boards-one for each
federal judicial district-which also
will decide appeals from decisions of
the local boards.
To Fix Date for Board Meetings.
In the lei future a date will be set
by Brig. Gen. Crowder, provost mar
shal-general, for the meeting and or
ganization of the boards. At the same
time It is expected that the selection
regulations will be promulgated so
that the process may be put under way
without delay. The present intention
is to call the men selected to the col
ors about September 1.
In a statement accompanying the an
nouncement of the regulations. the
president called upon the boards to do
their work fearlessly and impartially
and to remember that our armies al
the front will be strengthened and sus-
tanned If they be composed of men free
from any sense Of Injustice in their
mode of selection"
All Forces on Equal Footing.
The statement follows:
"The regulations which I am today
causing to be promulgated, pursuant to
the direction of the selective service
law, owe the remaining steps Of the
plan for calling Into the service Of the
United States qualified men from
those who have registered; those Sc
lected as the result Of this process to
constitute, with the regular army, the
National guard and the navy. the fight
ing forces Of the nation. all of which
forces are under the terms OF the law
placed in a position of equal right,
dignity and responsibility with the
members of all other military forces.
The regulations have been drawn
with a view to the needs and circum-
stances of the whole country and pro-
vide a system which II is expected will
work with the least inequality and per-
sonal hardship. Any system Of select
ing men OF military service, whether
voluntary or involuntary In Its opera
ton, necessarily selects some men to
bear the burden Of danger and sacri-
ice for the whole nation. The system
here provided places all men OF mill
tary age upon an even plane, and then,
by a selection which neither favors the
one nor penalties the other, calls upon
the requisite number for service
Urges Boards to Act lmpartiaiiy.
1.-The successful operation of this
law and of these regulations depends
necessarily upon the loyalty, patriotism
and Justice of the members of the
boards to whom Its operation Is COM
mitted, and I admonish every member
of every local board and of every dis
trict board of review that their duty
to their country requires an impartial
and fearless performance of the deli
cate and difficult duties intrusted to
them. They should remember as to
each individual case presented to them
that they are called upon to adjudlcate
the most sacred rights of the individ-
ual and to preserve untarnished the
honor OF the nation.
"Our armies at the front will be
strengthened and sustained II they be
composed of men free from any sense
of injustice In the mode of selection.
and they will be inspired to loftler eff
forts in behalf Of a country in which
the citizens called upon to perform
high public functions perform them
with Justice, fearlessness and Impair
TALLY"
Methods Of Making the Draft.
Upon organizing the local boards
will take over from the registration
boards all registration cards, which
they will number serially and list for