The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-11-12
Many CHANGES
UNDER ARMY'S
DRAFT SYSTEM
Medical and Legal Advis-
DRY Boards Will Be
Created
IMPORTANT POST :.
THAT OF MAJOR
Will Supervise Classified
ton of Remainder of
Drafted Men

The creation of legal advisory
boards" throughout North Dakota in
numbers sufficient to serve all the
boards in the community, and to in
sure that there will always be one of
these boards convenient to submit a
QUESTIONABLE, and which probably
will mean such a board for every
county in the state, is one of the new
measures to be inaugurated by the
war department under the new
selective service classification sys-
tenn.
According to information received
in Fargo, the governor is to decide
the number and location of these
boards and to name three members
for each, which, according to the
adjutant general shall constitute
sort of nucleus around which can
be grouped all the lawyers in the dis
trict served by the board. The chief
object of this plan is to create an
organization for the state which will
absorb all members Of the legal
profession and assign to each a
definite place and duty in the win
ming Of the war.
Duties Advisory.
The duties of this board will be to
advise registrants of their rights and
their duties under the draft act and
registered men who are in doubt of
what course to take or how to make
the statements or claims they are
asked or desire to make.
1t is proposed that the permanent
board will maintain a sort Of roster
of lawyers so that there will always
be present at the Office of the board
a force of competent legal advisers
to whom registrants may apply for
ADVICE on any matter concerning
the4f rights and duties under the
selective service law.
Instructions from Provost Marshal
Crowder state that as soon as the
state organization is complete the
local boards are to send out to all
registered men a blank form OF
QUESTIONABLE" which answers the
purposes of practically all the forms
hitherto used by registrants in pre-
senting their claims to local and dis
trict boards. but in addition requires
answers to questions which search
the entire economic, industrial or
agricultural relation to the regis
trant.
The answers are to be returned
and will be compiled by the salaried
clerks to be provided by the govern
ment in such a way that decisions Of
the local boards will be almost auto
matte in most cases and their work
will be greatly lessened and short
ened.
Major TO be Named.
Governor Lynn ]. Frazier has been
asked by Provost Marshal General
Crowder to recommend three men
who have shown aptitude in the
handling of the draft, one Of whom
is to be chosen by the war depart
ment and commissioned for the work
of a major and is to be attached to
the adjutant generals Office or other
appropriate state department.
This major. the letter states. re-
uuires that this office shall act as
disbursinE office, and Ii is the
thought of the war department, that,
N giving him a position and pay it
will enable him to devote his entire
time to this work. An adequate cler-
ical force of men under government
pay for the assistance of both the
local and She district boards in the
new classification examination of
drafted men, is also one CT the In
tentions OF the government to allevi=
throughout the state.
Medical Advisory Board.
Another change which the war de-
partment contemplates making. ac-
cording to announcement from the
state war department, is a new plan
for medical examination in the crea- l
ton of medical advisory boards of
physicians especially recommended
as experts in physical examination
with a view to military needs. These
boards are to be appointed in dis
tricts throughout the state whose
and Jurisdiction are to be
decided upon by the governor,
The governor Is to have the assist
ance in this work of physicians des-
ignated by the American Medical as
ISOLATION and the Medical section of
the Council of National Defense and
he is to select physicians for mem
in these boards and telegraph
their names to the provost marshal
general.
1t is stated that examinations will |
be conducted as heretofore by the |
ocal draft medical examination !
boards of the state, but that If there |
Is the slightest doubt to the fitness |
0f a candidate for the military serv- |
Ice of the United States on the part |
Of the members OF the local examina- |
turned over to the new medical ad- |
aisory board for it's decision.
The methods of physical examin- |
atoms have heretofore been unsatis-
factory" is the reason given by the |
provost marshal for the creation of /
his medical advisory board.
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