Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-09-21
THREAT TO TIE UP
DRAFTBOARD WORK
Attorney Declares He Will
File Injunction to Prevent
Entraining of Clients
REFUSED HABEAS CORPUS

A threat to tie up the work OF local and
district draft boards was made today by
John W. Landberg, an attorney. He said
he would institute injunction proceedings
next Monday to prevent the entraining of
five Russian clients, who asked exemption
on the grounds that they were aliens.
Attorney Dandberg made this announce
ment this morning after he had applied to
Judge Dickinson. in the Federal Courts,
for a writ of habeas corpus to procure the
discharge of his clients from service and to
prevent them from being sent TO the can
tonment at Admiral, M. Judge Dickin-
son, in refusing the writ said he had grave
doubts to the Jurisdiction of the court to
decide the consttutionality of the seleCtive
conscription law in habeas corpus proceed
ings
Attorney Landberg declared that the
local and district boards have msinter-
preted the provision Of the law relative to
aliens. Judge Dickinson ruled that the Fed
eral Court did not possess the function to
revise the finding of the exemption boards.
1t was readily seen that if an injunction
such as the one Attorney Landberg speaks
of is granted, it will impair the work of the
exemption boards in certifying men and
will delay the entraining.
United States District Attorney Sterret
will take this matter up at once with the
Attorney Generals Office at washington.
The five men who have sought exemption
PASS Newl<irk street; Abraham Miller,
twenty-fOur years old, 440 Mcclellan
street; Abraham Cooper, twenty-one years
old, 615 Mexican street; Max S. Citizen,
twenty-one years old, of 721 Mexican street,
and Menashe LeineroYtch, twenty
years old, 2535 Newkirk street.
ITALIANS TOLD TO RESIST
Agents Of the Italian Consulate in Phila-
delphia admit having instructed Italian
into the United States military service and
that they could legally resist efforts to force
them to serve.
Joseph W. Henderson and Francis Rowle
are Jointly counsel for the Philadelphia
Consulate Mr.. Henderson has informed
the District Appeal Boards that Italian
citizens cannot be drafted, as their treaty
rights automatically exempt them
Interference of Italian consular attaches
in this city and in Scranton in the move
ment of drafted men to the training camps
Is charged by the State Registration head
quarters at Harrisburg, and their names
were sent today to the War Department at
Washington. In number of cases, accord
ing to State headquarters officials, Italians
who were drafted failed to report for the
training camp, and told the officers that
the Italian consular agents had told them
they need not go.
Open war between District Appeal Board
No 2, sitting in the Federal Building and
some of the local draft boards within it's
jurisdiction is on today These local boards
have refused to obey the edict of the dis
trict board that men with appeals or in
dustrial claims pending before that board
cannot be called out on the pink cards.
Every member Of the district board is to-
day working exclusively on a list of names
including only those men who have been
called out by the local boards but whose
appeals for claims are still pending before
the board. This list was made out this
morning by the chief clerk, Bronte Green
wood, the result of the large number of
men who have daily called on the district
board since the pink cards informing them
that they were to report for military serv-
i've have been sent out this week
MUST FIND NEW QUARTERS
To further complicate the adverse condI-
tlons under which the Second District APP
peal Board is working 1t has been ordered
to vacate the three rooms that il is now
using in the Federal Building. The chief
clerk is using one of the large courtrooms
on the third floor to receive the long line
of persons who daily crowd before the rail
to file appeals industrial claims or to ask
for information. The United States Com
missioner also uses this room for his hear
Iings, sitting at the long table in the
center.
The appeal board is sitting in Room 3I2,
a large chamber just OFF the courtroom. II
is crowded every day at / o'clock, when
the board usually hears persons on appeal
matters Of varying classes. The clerical
force Of more than dozen, with desks ana
filing cabinets squeezed in so as TO leave a
tOTtuous passageways between, Is packed
into Room 410k, on the fourth floor.
According to Mr. Greenwood, the board
requires three rooms the size of the large
courtroom. He says that the Mayors re-
ception room, which has been offered is too
small to hold all Of the clerical force anc
machinery, the board and the crowds seek
ing to file appeals and TO be heard en- va
rious questions He has applied to the Ad-
jutant General OF the State for instructions
in telegram sent this morning
So worried were some men lest the in
formation they received from the district
board might not absolutely support them
in disobeying the call. and keep them out
of jail. that they came back five minutes
later to be told all over again on the right
side OF the table that which they had heard
on the left side.
WILLARD ASSURES CARD HOLDERS
The chairman OF the district board, WAL
ter Willard, assured all men with pink cards
who had appeals or claims pending with the
board that they should entirely ignore the
pink-card notice He told them that II they
were threatened with arrest by the local
board that they were wholly within their
rights in resisting. and that the district
board would back them up.