Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-08-04
BOARDS NOT IN DUTY BOUND TO
DIG UP EVIDENCE OF AP.
PLicANTS
SPECIFIC FACTS MUST
be PRESENTED TO THEM
Affidasits And Personal Testimony Of
Competent Witnesses Required TO Sc
cure Official Exemption From Army
Service-District Boards to Have
Thousands of Claims to Pass Upon.
Special TO Times Republican.

Special to Times-Republican.
Des Moines, Aug. At will be up TO
the man claiming exemption from the
federal exemption board TO prove his
own case and this must be done by
afidavits or evidence sufficient TO
show in detail just what claims the
man has and the truth OF them. This
is the statement Of y. D. Ely, Of Dav-
export, chairman of the federal board
for the southern Iowa district. Both
boards were in session al the state
house yesterday to try and determine
on rules to go by which would De uni
form in both districts. The northern
district board will hold its session in
waterloo and the southern district in
Des Moines.
If this specific evidence is not fur
nished and is not supported by sut1t-
cient evidence, the man will not be
exempted. In other words the board
is not going TO take upon itself the
work Of digging UP facts TO satisfy its
own questionings. These must be fur
nished by the man himself and the at
fdavits Of those who know him in
sufficient detail to prove his case.
The district board will have thou
sands Of claims TO pass upon in a
period OF seven days. TIE members
say they are facing q big task. Ap-
peals from the decisions OF the Local
boards come TO the federal board and
all claims for exemption because OF
occupation must come to the federal
board.
I'VE had one claim for exemption
submitted to Us today by a man who Is
running a farm, he claims, and Il was
supported by one affidavit explained
Chairman Ely This should not have
been submitted so early but nevertne-
less it was. Now this claim does not
set out specific facts. There is nothing
to show how long the man has been
on the farm or how long he expects to
be. whether he has leased II or rented
II or owns It, or in other words whether
he Is just a temporary Sacc2e. OF
farmer who follows this business year
IN and year out.
I'VE heard Ct three young men who
went to work on q farm before the
draft and when the drawing was an
nounced and their numbers were not
among those drawn first they imme-
diately quit their farm jobs. One mem
Der of the federal board reports that
all Of the married men In his home
district are claiming exemption
sTt is therefore evident that we are
facing. a big job. favor having the
federal district attorneys appear for
the governm emit before the federal
boards.
Munitions Train Scum Miles Long.
When the Iowa ammunition train
now in training at the fair grounds is
fully equipped with the necessary
cargo trucks, motor, cars, motorcycles
with side cars and spare battery
wagons and starts travelling down the
road It will make a train seven miles
long. The net road length in yards
Of the travelling equipment OF sucn
train Is 1854 yards. When the train
is travelling there mus be four yaros
distance between each truck or car
thus making a total length OF l,elo
yards or about seven miles.
There are twelve companies in TINS
ammunition train and about 70 men.
There VIII be twenty-seven motor
trucks to the company Of ga IN the
train, two tank trucks per company OF
q total Of twenty-four. one mess truck
total thirteen; oae repair truck, total
twelve: one motor car, total ftteen,
TWO motorcycles with s!6e cars, total
fortv-one. The train will also have
three spare battery wagons and three
snare store wagons which would De
trailers.
Thus far the men have no equipment
whatever, not even suits. Iney are
drilling steadily every day. however
and are an enthusiastic crowd OK re-
cruits. There are many expert me-
chauics among them and practically all
have had automobile experience.
The twenty-four tanks with when
each train Is TO be equipped are the
notorious devils of iron and steel with
tremendous power which nave gone
thru shell noies, barbed wire en-
tanglements and passed almost every
other kind Of an obstacle and spread
CONSERVATION and anlazement among
the Germans who have had nothing to
compare with them.
1t is the duty Of the ammunition
train primarily, however. to transport
ammunition, rifles, machine guns and
even artillery from the base OF supplies
or from the army trains to the front
It means hard driving. danger from
bombs dropped from the sky or shelis
from the enemy lines, in order to reach
the front
II ia possible some Of the first work
with cargo trucks will be in the trans
porting Of supplies from Des Moines