The Detroit times., 1917-08-08
EXEMPTION
BOARDS ARE
SWAMPED
Can't Get Sufficient
Physicians To Take
Care of Work
PAY TOO MUCH
OR TOO LITTLE
Percentage of Con-
scripts Who Claim
Exemption Large

DRAFTING for the new national
army is going ahead very slowly be
cause tho government in Is hurry
has not paid enough attention TO
the social amenities Doctors post
lively viii not work for 81 a day
That is Tho rate Of pay assigned by
Uncle Sam Physicians say " Is
either too much or too little As a
result all the draft boards are shy 20
OF doctors
Many Detroit doctors would glad
Is volunteer 20 examine drafted men.
but they balk a, the s4.a day clause
II the job were purely honorary
they say the nation would have
more volunteer physicians than Il
could use. but since the law has rs
tahlished 81 day as the rate OF
pay the best physicians will have
none ~ II.
one noted d0c'or. whose income
is not less than $4,000 year told
a reporter for The Times Tuesday
that be would be happy 20 donate
his services as long AS the govern
ment needed him and he would do
81 for nothing. but be declined 20
give $50 900 worth OF service for
pay a. the rate Of 81 200 year
As a result OF this situation prac
tically every exemption board IN
tho city was fairly swamped Tues.
~ D. .
examined and. u must be said, ex
empfed In most cases "a quickly as
possible In the Wayne county
building where the boards for the
hrst district OF Detroit and the sec
ond district OF Wayne county out.
side OF Detroit are In session there
was n long line OF applicants ready
before The Offices opened az =
O'Clock In each once there were
two physicians and they could not
cope with the crowd II the govern
men' withdrew its offer OF 81 day
II Is said there would be more than
enough physicians on the job TO
take care OF the men as fast r. they
arrived
As a result Of this condition less
than 1000 men have been examined
according 20 estimates. whereas the
government expected that by this
time he whole work OF performing
physical combinations would have
been completed and IL would be
necessary only 90 wait for tho eN.
empuon claims ana tho consdera
tion OF them
Provost Marshal General Crow.
der's order 10 exemption boards that
they might accept aliens willing 10
waise their claims for exemption
will help Detroit perhaps more than
almost any other city In the coun
try incidentally II may open the
way 10 put fcw Chinese in the new
national army Ia Detroit there are
only six Chinese drafted and In the
entire country not more than few
hundred The Chinese are not ali
gible ~ citizenship but tho native
born are citizens and are subject 10
the draft u Is said there are only
Two Chinese in Detroit who are ma
tive born citizens OF draft age.
While less than one NTH OF the
estimated number necessary 20 sup
ply Detruii's quota have been exam
inod only one day remains II the
local boards arc 10 keep mp with the
government schedule. which set
tentatively Wednesday night as tho
limit for the physical examinations
on "a, FIRST call or course this
schedule cannot be adhered 20 and
" Is now conceded that 10 viii 70.
Quire many more calls than was al
first contemplated. The government
figured that two calls for one &C.
ceptance would be sufficient II r.
nov apparent that the ESTIMATE was
about four or Ave times too small.
unless the boards disregard what
appear 10 be perfectly legitimate ex-
emption claims.
Less than 20 per cent ~ the regis
tered men in Detroit Who are avail