Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-08-07
EXEMPTION CLAIMS i.
R||G|D[Y PROBED
U. S. Attorney Laskey Investi-
eating Case in Which False
Swearing Is Charged.
PENALTIES UNDER THE LAW

United States Attorney Laskey is in
Vestigating an alleged false affidavit
MED in proof of a claim for exemption
from duty under the draft. The prose
cutor declined to give the name of the
person signing the sworn statement or
to say from what local board the mat
ter had been referred to him.
Perjury under the District code is
punishable by Imprisonment in the pen-
itentiary for a term of not less than
Two years nor more than ten years. As
the minimum punishment is two years
persons asked to make affidavits should
pc careful to know or investigate close
iy the facts to which they make oath
IN supporting a friends claim for ex-
emptlon. II is warned, or they NAV be
prosecuted for perjury.
Each case going to the United States
attorneys s office. il is stated, will be in
Nestlgated on its own facts Many of
tnese afhdavfts are made on 'informa-
tioh and belief. il is pointed out and
only careful consideration of the state
ihehts made in such cases will disclose
now much was within the personal
knowledge of the affiant and how much
credence had been given by him to
statements of the applicant.
10 convict person of perjury un-
der the District code. it is stated. evil
dence must be adduced to show beyond
a reasonable doubt that he swore to a
statement which he knew to be untrue.
III one accepts as true the statements
made to him by another and Incorporates
these statements in an affidavit as
true upon information and BELIEF he
does not violate the law it is claimed
Evidence of "Uneasiness.
Evidence has not been lacking, it was
stated today. that the announcement
nar he.
the names of persons applying for ex-
emption. together with the reasons
stated in their affidavits. has caused
some uneAsfness. One registrant who
had applied for exemption on the
ground that he was the support of de-
pendents. asked permission to change
the affidavit, and. on being refused, be-
came excited. IL is said, and declared
be published among those seeking re-
lease.
In order to detect any abuses grow
ing out of the making of false returns
district draft officials today called on
all registrants and citizens generally
to cooperate with the authorities in
running down slackers of this type
1t is suggested that registrants and
those not liable for service read the
names of those applying for exemption
and, in the event of discovering evil
dence of falsification report the fact
Immediately either to an exemption
board or to the attorney representing
any one of the eleven boards.
Attorneys Hold Meeting.
The attornsgs-who were appointed
recently to appeal on behalf of the
provost marshal general all exemption
claims based on support of dependents
met last night at the District building
and organized Much time was spent
in discussing the Stacker situation re-
n inU ~iY
zens generally to confer with the at
torneys regarding any attempts to
evade the law which may be dis
covered.
1t was pointed out that every person
who makes a false affidavit in order
to escape service to that extent ad-
vances the call to appear for examfna-
ton of some other person whose name
is carried on the liability lists. For
this reason regfstrants especially are
urged to cooperate in locating per-
sons who swear to false statements in
their claims for exemption.
The offices of the attorneys will be omen
at all times to informants and the in
formation obtained not only will be used
before the appeal board in opposition to
the granting of exemptions. where false
returns have been made. but, in cases
where the offense is sufficiently serious il
will be turned over to the United States
district attorney, who will institute prose-
cutions.
Represent Eleven Boards.
The attorneys representing the
eleven boards are the following:
Local board No. Julius l. Peyser,
31S Southern building.
Local board No. "A. Leftwich
Sinclair. Fendall building.
Local board No 3-A. Coulter Wells
S11 Union Trust building.
Local board No. 4-Frederick J. Rice,
313 John Marshal place.
Local board No. 5-Hayden Johnson.
226 Woodward building
Local board No. 6-Charles T.
Hendler, Fendall building.
Local board No. Edwin c. Dut-
ton. 3l3 Columbian building.
Local board No. S-Enoch A Chase.
402 Bond building.
Local board No. 9-Edward F. Coll
laday. SOS Union Trust building
Local board No. 10. Barrett Car
ter, 9l5 Evans building.
Local board No 1l.-Raymond B.
Dickey, 1916 F street northwest
Consideration of exemption claims
by the board of appeals probably will
start within a few days. The attorneys
were in conference today with the sew
eral boards and no time is to be lost
In starting the appeals.
Have Examined 2,O92 Men.
More than the first 200 per cent of tho
Districts quota for the National Army
which the exemption boaxds were
Quired to summons have been exam
ined. according to figures compiled to-
day. They show that since last Mon
day 2,092 men have been examined. OF
this number 460 were rejected for phys
ical reasons, 1905 made claims for ex-
emption and 451 were accepted with
out claims.
The following table. compiled from
tentative figures furnished by the vari-
Gus boards. indicates the progress of
the examinations up to noon today:
Total Physical Exemp- Ac'pted
exam rejec- tion without
Div No. ined. tions. cl IN is claims
----------.-. lob 80 MI
= -.---.----- lou 10 ~ 6l
4 So
: .......- 1873 23 127 AZ
6 2J6 81 159 A.
.
b lou W
10 .-..... 152 IL 81 ~
IL L
Totals -. 092 460 1,OO5 45l
Nine More Accepted in First.