The sun., 1917-08-22
WILSON FOR DRAFT
OF MARRIED RICH
Presidents Attitude Is Thus
Interpreted by Military
and Naval Men.
EXEMPTION PLEAS GROW
Fictitious Cases of "Depend-
ency" Worry Provost Mar
shal-GeMeral.

WASHINGTON. Aug 2l.-Orderly ad-
mlnistraton OF the draft law is threat
ented with chaos, according to military
and naval authorities by the vaguely de-
fined objections Of President Wilson TO
the rulings of Provost Marshal.General
Crowder on the treatment of claims for
exemption because OF dependent fami-
lies or relatives. The Presidents posi-
tion virtually seems to be that only
wealthy married men should be held to
service.
II 10 said here by men who have ac-
cess to returns from local and district
exemption boards in many States that
any tampering with the present rulings
will open the doors to a flood OF exemp-
tions which are not demanded by con-
siderations of national economy and
which were not contemplated by the
terms or legislative history OF the con-
scription act.
Despite the specific provisions % the
act. which clearly makes an existing and
continuing dependency the only ground
for an exemption of this kind. the Pro-
rost Marshal-General has found it nee.
essary TO warn local boards and district
boards OF appeal against a too lenent
Interpretation OF the law
Bred Many Fictitious Cases.
In many districts 1t appeared that the
mere fact OF marriage was accepted as
ground for discharge from the draft and
a veritable food of fictitious cases Of
dependency made 1t appear that not 200
per cent as originally anticipated. but
500 per cent OF the first quota would
have to be called to obtain the desired
number of men.
The same situation is bound to recur
according to officials II the rulings which
Gen. Crowder sent out recently are re-
voked 1t is also pointed out that thou
sands OF cases in which local or district
boards have denied exemption claims
because of the later rulings VIII have
10 be reopened.
While Gen. Crowder and his aides
declined to-day to discuss the matter 1t
is known, however. that when the Presi-
dents first official representation TO the
War Department on the subject was
forwar rded to the Provost Marshal Gen
eral. the latter reported that in his
Judgment any less drastic administra-
ton would be contrary to the spirit. il
not the terms, of the law.
Report In Hands Of President.
This report is now before the Presi-
dent. and il is generally believed he
will make some announcement soon. II
there Is to be any radical change it Is
pointed out time is an important factor
as the certified lists for the first in
| crement which will be called September
5 may have to be revised and further
examinations ordered.
When the draft act was passed Con-
gress apparently took the view now
held by Gen Crowders ruling as to the
/ treatment OF cases Of dependencies
After carefully considering the whole
matter the Senate not only rejected the
amendment but ratified the original pro-
vision in the bill which after providing
for exemption in cases OF dependency
only included n provision the spirit and
terms of which are d!ametrically OPP
posed to the present effort Of the Presi-
dent to bring about less drastic ad-
minis,rat'on Of this phase of the law
viz:
mo exemption or exclusion shall con-
tinuc when a cause therefor no longer
exists"