The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1917-09-20
ADVICE TO MEN
WHO ARE DRAFTED

It is only a waste of postage, letter
paper and time for man whose claim
for exemption from the draft on indus
trial grounds has been denied by his
district exemption board, or for any
of his relatives or friends, to write to
his senator or his congressman or the
provost marshal general. or the Presi-
dent of the United States, trying to
have the ruling of the board reversed.
Strange as it may seem, great
many such letters have been written.
They have poured in by the hundred
thousands to officials at Washington.
Some of them have come from Oregon.
These letters will do no good what
soever. They will not even be consid-
cred but will be returned to the send
er. If a man having real grounds for
appeal wishes to prejudice his case be-
fore hand, the surest way for him to
do it is to write to his senator, or rep
resentative, or to some official in
Washington to use his influence to-
ward fixing up the exemption.
There is just one procedure whereby
an appeal may be taken to the Presi-
dent from the ruling of district
board. That is through the district
board itself, in the manner prescribed
by Official regulations.
1t must be remembered, however,
that only one class of cases can be ap-
pealed to the President from the dis.
trict board. These are cases that orig
mate before the district board, and not
with one of the local county exemp-
tion boards.
The only cases over which district
boards have original jurisdiction are
those involving claims for exmption on
the ground of employment in neces-
ssry industry, including agriculture.
No claim for exemption on the
ground of dependency can be appealed
to the President under any circum-
stances. The decision of the district
board in such cases on which it sits as
an appellate board, is final. There is
no further appeal.
The following summary of regula-
tions made by the President to govern
procedure in all cases appealed to him,
has been issued by the provost marshal
general at Washington, with the re.
quest that it be given the fullest pub
licity:
governing appeals from the action of
district boards, the claim of appeal
must be filed with the district board
and cannot be received if sent direct to
the President, the provost marshal
general, members of congress or to
any other place than to the district
board itself.
Papers, evidence and affidavits not
considered by the district board cannot
be considerd on appeal from the dis
trict board.
The only cases in which there is an
appeal to the President are cases in
which claim for discharge on the
ground of engagement in agricultural
or industry has been made in the dis
trict board. There is no appeal to the
President from the action of the local
board in dependency or other cases
whose determination is within the jur-
isdiction of the local board.
All attempts to appeal cases other
than those involving the decision of
the district board on agricultural or in
dustrial exemptions from whatever
source received all affidavits, letters,
arguments, evidence. papers or other
matter not considered by the district
board; all appeals made to the Presi-
dent direct or sent to any other official
or person in Washington will have to
be returned to the sender.