New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-01
City S Quota
In First Draft
Is Completed
But First Contingent Will
Not Leave for Yaphank
Till September 10

new 1ork Cltys nrst draft quota Is
practically complete, Roscoe s. Conk-
ling. director of the draft of this city,
announced last night. The work that
remains is only a matter Of straighten-
ing out records-that is, determining
the precise place where the line be-
tween the first quota and the second
quota in each district comes, and get
ting decisions from the district board
on cases which have been appealed.
! Coincident with this announcement,
Mr. Conkling stated that the first de-
tachment of drafted men will leave for
Camp Upton, at Yaphank. L. l., on Sep
tcmber 10, five days later than the date
last set The delay, he said, is due to
the desire of the government to have
the camp in excellent condition before
the drafted men arrive.
In telegram sent to the chairmen
of the 1S9 local exemption boards, Mr..
Conkling said: "Due to the desire Of the
government TO make adequate and
! proper provision for the comfort Of the
National Army contingent, the Secre-
tary of War directs that the beginning
Of the movement of selected men to
! Yaphank now set for September 5 be
postponed until September TO-"
at is conservative to prophecy" de-
clared Mr.. Conkling, "that by the time
the first contingent leaves for Yaphank,
| 20 per cent more than the quota of the
entire city will have been certified.
Exceptional boards already have 200
per cent of their allotment ready to
serve in the new army. In fact, the
pressure on the local boards at present
is from demands Of men who are beg
eing 20 be placed in the first quota"
The district board in a three s1d a
half hour session yesterday did its bit
toward ending the bookkeeping side
of the first draft by passing on 43s
cases. A larger proportion Of appeals
was successful yesterday than hereto
fore. Ninety-six decisions Of local
pOdIuS "eIo oHo
granted. whereas 1873 afirmations were
made. Twenty-seven applicants re-
ceived discharges for six months on
industrial grounds and thirty light were
refused.
Despite President Wilson's ruling
Thursday that medical students may
be exempted from service in the draft
army and instead enlist in the reserve
corps Of the army. Robert F. Z. Stier.
a student at the College of Physicians
and Surgeons, was unable to get dis
charge when his case came up before
the board yesterday. Having received
no Official notification of the new in
depreciation, the members agreed TO
lay aside the case temporarily.
Called Himself German
The board was called upon to decide
whether there existed such thing as
a man without country when the ap-
peal of Charles Schettler. who sought
exemption on the ground that he was
an alien enemy, was considered II
appeared that he was born in Phila-
delphia, but was taken to Austria by
his parents. and then to Germany.
where he said he was naturaliZed. The
German government at the outset OF
the war, Mr.. Schettler asserted. tried
TO draft him into its army, but he
claimed exemption as citizen OF the
United States. His claim was denied
by the Teuton authorities, but Holland
offered an avenue of escape. and |
Schettler returned to this country. AL |
though Local Board 113 certified him |
for service. Schettler asked the district
board TO discharge him on the ground |
that he was citizen Of Germany, since
the German military authorities so de- |
cided some years ago. He was not eX-
tmpted. /
The opinion of the District Board
that the Fenner law, which provides
that city employees who enter military |
service should receive the excess OF
their civilian remuneration over their |
soldier pay from the municipal treas
ury, was invalid will not interfere with |
the operation of the law, it was learned |
yesterday. Acting Corporation Coun-
sci Louis II. Hahle advised Controller
Prendergast to continue paying city !,
employees who are in military service
the difference between their service
salary and their normal wage. Mr..
Prendergast needed immediate advice,
as he had to make out the August pay
roll Yesterday. The Fenner law, it was
pointed out, will have to be presumed
constitutional until a court decision is
made against its validity.
United States Commissioner Caboone
Yesterday held Theodore Louis Wilmer,
twenty-five years old, of Coney Island.
in $4,000 bail, and his mother. Mrs.
Sadie wilmer, forty-fve, and Dr..
Adolph Brandstein, ifty-two, OF lo2
South Second Street, Brooklyn, in
1000 each, on a charge of conspiring
to defeat the draft act. 1t is alleged
that the three made out affdsvits that
Mrs. Wilmer was a widow and depend !
ent on her son, and that later the son
made out second affidavit stating that
his father was alive, residing in De-
troit and that his mother had received
4 divorce from him eighteen years ago.
The second affidavit caused the arrest
of the trio.
Plans for parade of eity's drafted