The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-10-20

LEVER DIsCUSSES SELECTIVE
DRAFT ACT.
Provost Marshal General Ready a.
Relieve Acute Labor situation in
Any Legal Way.

tive "A. f.. Lever. who is receiving
many inquiries from different parts
of the district and the state touch
ing the probable attitude of the adj
ministration with regard to the mat
ter of exemptlng from the sclective
draft persons engaged i'm agriculture
today made the following statement;
AS you know. the selective draft
act confers upon the district boards
the decision as TO the matter of ex-
the right of appeal to tho president
ami subject to his final decision. AS
the bill came to the house from the
committee on military affairs, it CON
taincd no provision which gives the
district boards the power To exempt
farmers. although provision was
made for the exemption, under Ger
tain conditions, of persons engaged in
ccrtais industries. AS the chairman
of the committee on agriculture, ]
felt that the old doctrine, armies fight
on their bellies, was still applicable,
and l offered an amendment giving
the district boards the right to exempt
those engaged i'm agriculture from
the draft, subject to an appeal to the
president. The amendment was
promptly accepted by the house, for
the wisdom and justice of it were quite
manifest.
More than month ago / took up
with General Crowder, provost mar
shall general, who has charge of the
formulation Of regulations under the
sclective service act. the question of
the Interpretation OF, and attitude to-
ward, this matter of disorganizing as
little as possible the agriculture of the
country by withdrawing from it too
many of those engaged in it. L pointed
out to him the acutenegs of the labor
situation and urged upon him the tre-
mendous task which is before the
farmers of this country of not only
furnishing food and clothing for our
own army and navy as well rs civilian
population, but as well the task OF
furnishing the larger part of these
supplies to the armies, navies and civ
ilian population of our allies. 1t is 4
huge undertaking which will tax tc
the limit the resourcefulness ana best
efforts of our agricultural population
At that time General Crowder's pol.
Icy in respect to this proposition wa.
formulating, but nc had reached nC
definite conclusion. although FULLY
realizing the strength of my position
Just before the adjournment OF con,
sress l again. in formal letter tc
General Crowder. brought this matter
to his attention, having few day.
previous to that called il to Preslr
dent Wilson's attention. I am just il
receipt of letter from Genera
Crowder, which should be of grcat
interest and which reads as follows
In reply to your letter. beg tC
state that the Office recognizes the diff
flculty of the situation and is ready tC
take any action TO relieve it, which
could be done without detrimcnt &c
the public service.
"'As YOU know the concrete qucs-
tions arising under this section of the
law-that is to say. questions OF ex-
empting farmers-arc vested by the
selective service act in the district
boards, subject TO an appeal to the
president.
1t was felt that questions of an
industrial and agricultural nature
should be passed upon, in the first in
stance, by the district boards. and by
persons familiar with local conditions
allowing, however, an appeal to the
president from the decisions of the
district individual cases and to secure.
as far as possible. uniformity of de
cision.
THE system, despite the difficulties
involved. is working we'll
1T will be- observed that the prop
or procedure for those engaged i'm ag-
riculture who have been drafted is to
make their claim Of exemption, be-
cause of this fact, to the district
boards; and if the district board acts
uhiavorably upon the claim. the APP
ph"nt then has the right to ask that
MS claims of exemption on these
grounds shall be sent to tho prcsi~
ocht as an appeal 10 him is provide
TOT IN the law. Such an appeal to
the president would carry with it all
lhc papers and statements which have
Dccn filed 10y the applicant with Che