Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-11-23
CLASSIFICATION
!. OF REGISTRANTS
HERE Is ORDERED
Continued from page y

Y , r =.
---------------
and completion of this organization
There is no charge in the ccnstitu'
ton of the local and district boards
except that we must provide for an
adequate clerical force since an es
sential principle of the new system
is that the mechanical processes OF
selection can all be accomplished by
clerical assistance, leaving to the
boards only the task Of drawing con
illusions from evidence automatically
presented in the most concrete man
ner possible. On this subject shall
address you. again within a day or
two. 49,. H.. .
"One of the most fruitful sources
of difficulty in the first draft Just
passed was the mistakes OF regis
trants arising from their lack OF
knowledge of their rights and duties
under the law. This presented rath'
er perplexing situation. The proce,
dure before selection boards must
not be regarded as controversial. 1t
is an original inquiry by the govern
ment in a classification for the sole
benefit of the nation. It Is unseemly
and wholly improper for lawyers to
appear before local and district
boards as advocates Yet it is true
that registrants should be advised
OF their rights and duties and meth
cd must be provided for this end.
"The new regulations provide for
the erection OF legal advisory boards
in sufficient
bers adequately to serve all the local
boards in the community and to in
sure that there will always be one
of these boards convenient to any
Resistant who is required to submit
a QUESTIONABLE. For this purpose II
will be necessary for you to make
canvass OF the situation in your ter
ritory and to determine the number
and location of these boards, and
then to create an organization for the
state which will absorb all members
of the legal profession and assign to
each definite place and duty in the
winning of this war. To this end reg
ulations provide that the governor
shall nominate to the president three
members for each Of such boards,
which membership shall constitute a
sort of nucleus board around which
can be grouped all the lawyers in the
district served by the board.
1--WE have not yet given the legal
profession definite place in the or
ganized ranks of the nation, and what
is here proposed offers chance that
should be welcomed enthusiastically
by every lawyer in particular and by
the whole legal profession. The most
direct and practical way to insure
having a responsible and effective cen
trail unit in each community would be
to include in the permanent member
ship of each legal advisory board, as
executive head thereof, the county
Judge or judge of court of similar
jurisdiction, and by this means to pro
vide powerful stimulus to the efforts
of the younger men of the profession.
Especial appeal will be made to
every member of the legal profession
to give his services TO this work, and
it is proposed that the permanent
board shall maintain sort of roster
of officers so that there will always be
present at the office of the board d
force of competent legal advisors to
whom registrants may apply for al. |
vice on any matter concerning their |
rights under the selective service law.
mo more important post could be |
offered lawyer at this time than the |
active duty of assisting in the raising |
OF our armies, and in this way can be |
provided very necessary auxiliary OF |
the selectiVe service system without |
making any demand on the time of any |
lawyer to which any patriotic citizen |
would hesitate to respond. During |
the period of classification the duties |
Of these boards will be rather heavy, |
but after that period | hardly think |
that much will remain for them to do.
This organization should proceed |
with the greatest possible expedition,
since it must be complete before the |
process of selection starts, and trust |
that you will fe able to forward me
your list of nominations within the
next ten days.
Physical Examinations
The methods of physical examina-
tions have heretofore not been salts
factory. The new regulations ad-
dress themselves to this fault and pro-
vide very systematic method for re
moving it. A preliminary examina
ton is to be made by an examining
physician of the local board, and thus
hose obviously physically disqualified
will be eliminated from the lists, but
before the local board arrives at de-
efsion as to tie physical qualification
If any registrant about whose qualifi.
cations there is any doubt, the physi.
cal examination is to be conducted by
experts in the most exhaustive manner
possible. To this end the new regula-
ions provide for the erection of medi
,al advisory boards throughout the
states in such number and serving
such districts as may be dictated by
hospital and railroad communications
md by the very important considera.
ion of reducing to minimum the cost
o the nation that will be incurred by
he necessity of sending registrants be-
ore such boards for examination.
This is a matter which requires the
Ictive cooperation and material SUD.
tort of members of the medical pro.
ession. The American Medical AS. II
and the medical section OF