The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-08-03
DRAFT GAINING
IN WILLING AND
FIT CANDIDATES
Forty Boards Here Report
Many Eager as rs Per
Cent. Pass Tests.
APPEAL TANGLE FEARED
Doctors Warned Not to Be Too
Strict-Record In "HOtel
District"
APPEAL TANGLE FEARED

examinations in New York city yester-
day The number of men found phys
icaly qualified for soldering amounted
70 considerably more than so per cent.
Of those tested. The proportion OF those
who passed the doctors and will claim
no exemption has also risen.
The number of men examined yester-
day was 4,471. or these am, or 81
per cent, we're passed by the physi-
clans. OF those who passed 5S4 are
known to have said they would not
claim exemption and are therefore sure
10 be drafted.
Some boards, however. are not ask
Ing candidates at this stage whether
or not they want to be exempted. 1t
3 therefore impossible to summarize
Yesterdays work exactly. But by ex-
Guiding from the summary the boards
that did not ask the exemption ques-
tion approximate proportions may be
sbtained. The figures for boards which
did find out II the eligible candidates
waived exemption are:
Number examined, 3,147; number
passed. 1.s47; number disqualified. S37 (;
number of qualified not claiming ex-
emptlon, 5S4, or 1875 per cent. In other
districts. roughly one man In five is
available for the army. On Wednesday
II was one man in eleven,
The city's quota has been raised to
1911 by the discovery that forty-six
army or guard enlistments credited to
New York belonged to Rockland county.
At yesterdays rate 1t will be necessary
to examine about 100000 men to get
the city's quota.
Reports were received from about
forty boards which were examining yes
terday about third OF the men they
had called. Tho figures attested' what
was known to be a fact. that from some
source. presumably Washington, physi-
clans who were inclined to be too ex-
acting with the candidates and who de-
manded physical perfection instead of
essential military qualifications had been
asked to- see that no man who could
possibly be deemed At to serve was
marked physically disqualified"
Deputy Attorney-General Roscoe s.
Conkllng, supervisor OF the city's 1S9
local boards. visited twenty of them on
the East and West sides of Manhattan
between Fifteenth and Seventy second
streets yesterday morning to see how
the examinations we're being conducted.
He was delighted with what he saw. AT
that time in the forenoon 76 per cent. OF
all the men examined in the twenty dis
tricts were being o. KID by the doctors.
In ten Of the twenty districts the per-
centage was Sc. All OF the boards ex-
cept one had devised good systems OF
handling the candidates. Physicians
who had so interpreted their instruc-
tons that they had disqualified a large
proportion of the men they examined
were holding more of yesterdays batch
for the army or for exemption as the
case might be.
Government Rules Strict.
The Governments rules are specific
and they are strict. In the opinion of a
good many board members they are toe
strict. In accounting for high pre-
vious proportion OF reflections at the
City College John w. Remer OF Board
li1 said yesterday: "The trouble is that
the Government expects us to select
young Adonises. perfect physical mod
els"
One satisfying feature OF yesterdays
progress is that the figures are based
not on the work Of eight boards, as wat
the case on Wednesday, but OF nearly q
fifth of all the boards in the city. Final
results cannot be predicted on the re-
suits to date, but they are distinctly
more encouraging.
Nor can anybody guess as to how
many men will claim exemption or how
many who do claim 1t will be able &c
get Off. Few OF the boards are ever
receiving exemption claims yet and only
two have reached the stage where de-
cision must be made as to acceptance oil
rejection for the army. The mass Of
Industrial exemptions that will be dc.
manded are not even considered by th'
local boards The district appeals board
which is not yet appointed, will consider
them as we'll as all appeals from the
fndings of the local boards, including
under Gen. Crowder's new ruling. al
cases In which the lower board allows 6
claim OF dependent relatives.
Exemption Claims Wait.
Few Of the men who will claim ex
emption have actually done so. They
have until the seventh day after they
days in which to submit affidavits sup
porting their claim.
The highest proportion OF physica
qualifications yesterday was reported BY
board 1876, at Public School 40. Am
sterdam avenue and 109th street. OF IL;
candidates IL passed rs. and of thos'
Who passed 36 indicated that theN
Houlo not claim exemption.
To catch slackers the formation OF
vigilance committee with branches II
every exemption division OF the city 4
proposed by the National Securit,
League. The league sent a letter yes
terday TO the heads OF defence and 20
lltical organization asking them to joir
In calling a meeting TO appoint tn
committees, Mayor Mitchels help wa
also requested. and copy OF the lette
was sent to the leagues $50 branche
throughout the country asking them T.
take similar action.
The letter says that "the condition
created by the extensive demand for ex
emption In the examinations under tn
craft law constitute a national menace.
II continues:
We must impress upon the publ
mat the Stacker is not only a cowarC
and cheat and evading national ser
''es but that ne IL inperiiiing Hations
honor In a war for national existenc
and that he Is endeavoring to impos
Upon the men numerically below him Il
the draft the duty which he should per
lorm Every man who wrongful,
escapes among those first called Grim
inaily and unfairly imposes his obliga
cOHtinued on Fourth Page.