Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1917-08-27


Washington regarding the status OF mar
ried men, carried the following:
At the direct suggestion of President
Wilson, Provost Marshal General Grow
der telegraphed to all governors tonight a
supplemental legislation Of regulations
governing the status of married men un-
der the selective service law. No change
in regulations is made and the purpose OF
the new statement is to clear up misundcr-
standings which nave arisen in what Gen
cral Crowder describes as "a few in
stances"
In a letter TO Secretary Baker quoted
by General Crowder, President Wilson
states his opinion that the regulation di-
recting local boards 'to establish the fact
of dependents in addition to the fact of
i.arriage ought not to bc ~sbrogated.' This
leaves the regulations a they are and the
supplementary statement is designed
merely to make the application of the rules
uniform among all boards.
While the statement regarding married
men was in preparation new orders were
issued changing entirely the mobilization
arrangements previously made. Conges-
ton of rail traffic and the necessity of
1T the men ut the environments dictated
the changes.
Under the new orders 5 per ceat OF the
white men. preferably those with military
--u So. u.-l tA.. au.. ru.I Ian
started forward to the camps Sept. 5, in
stead of 30 per rent. They will 90 in five
daily detachments of equal size and form
skeleton company organizations and set
a going concern into which the remand
or of the total quota can be absorbed with
confusion IA they reach the canton
lnents.
The next 40 per cent of the quota will
20 forward ~ IL. 10, when the second 80
per cent originally was scheduled To 90:
= second 40 per cent will go forward Oct.
3 instead of the third 80 per cent. and the
remaining ID per cent will be called up a.
soon thereafter n practicable.
Local boards are directed to disregard
liability numbers to some extent
in selecting the first 5 per cent. n men
of experience. such as cooks and former
are desired at that time. Warn
ing i given against getting into this levy
by reason of his experience any man who
not otherwise have been included in
the first increment of that district ~ all.
Following j. the text of the message
sent to the governors dealing with the
status of married men. prepared at "a con
ference late today between Secretary
Baker and General Crowder:
"A feeling has been expressed that in
passing on claims for discharge on the
ground of dependents, local boards ought
in no ease 10 refuse a discharge 70 a mar
ried man or to the mead of a family. The
law under which local boards act requires
that such a discharge can be granted. de
tendency rs well a. relationship must be
to the president, the following are
his orders thereon.
"'We ought as far as possible to raise
this new national army without creating
the hardships necessarily cntaiIed when
the head Of a family j. taken. and | hope
for the most part those accepted in
the first call will be found to be men who
had not yet assumed such relations.
"'The selective service law makes the
fact of dependents, rather than the fact
of marriage, the basis for exemption. and
there are undoubtedly many eases within
the age limits fixed by law OF, men who
are married and yet whose accommodations
or other economic surroundings are such
that no dependency of the wife exist in
fact. Plainly the law does not contem-
plate exemption for this class Of men.
1.-The regulations promulgated on June
30. 1917, should be regarded a. CONTROL
ing IN these eases. and the orders issued
under that regulation directing exemption
boards 10 establish the facts Of depcndent~
IN addition 10 the fact Of marriage ought
not To be a~brogated.'
1.-The attention Of this office has beer
invited To the fact that in a few instances
local boards have certified to district
boards and held for military service mer
whose familie, are actually dependent on