New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-15
Lawyers and the Draft
They Have Rendered Arduous Service
Faithfully and Ably

To the Editor OF The Tribune.
SIR In view of the stirring appeal OF the
President to the legal profession in connec-
ton with the new draft regulations, pub
licity should be given to the effective and
patriotic service which the members Of the
bar Of this city have already rendered.
Last July the adjutant general of the
state designated lawyer TO act as the
representative of Provost Marshal General
Crowder in giving legal advice 20 each OF
the 18e exemption boards OF this city. These
lawyers efficiently and periodically devoted
themselves to the arduous task and have
very materially contributed to the success
full working of the law. Mr.. Roger B. Wood,
formerly Assistant United States Attorney
for this district was designated By the adj
jutant general TO direct the activities OF the
lawyers advising the exemption boards and
deserves much credit for his work. Six law
ycrs designated by the adjutant general
have been performing with ability and fdel-
itv the arduous labor incident TO appeals to
the district board. twenty-five lawyers APP
pointed by the United States Attorney as
special assistants have been aiding in the
enforcement Of war measures recently passed
work incident TO the war
The service Of all these lawyers has been
entirely gratuitous. They were all selected
by the government on the recommendation
Of the war committee of the bar of the City
of New York, and that committee had given
careful consideration to their qualifications.
The war committee was formed last spring
by committees representing the Association
of the Bar Of the City of New York, the New
York County Lawyers Association, the
Brooklyn Bar Association. the Association OF
the Bar cf the County of Bronx, the Queens
County Bar Association, the Richmond
County Bar Association and the Lawyers
Club, TO facilitate the government in carry
ing into effect war measures. 1t began its
work by QUESTIONABLE sent TO the $4,000
members of the bar of this city. About 1000
lawyers responded, rendering their services
and giving information as TO their capablll-
ties and the amount of time they were pre-
pared to give TO the public service, which
enabled the committee to make classlhca
tion which, with the aid of system of
special investigation, made 1t possible on
short notice to furnish legal assistance OF the
kind above referred TO.
| understand from the published state
:nents concerning the new draft regulations
district an advisory board of three lawyers
to advise registrants as to their legal rights
and the manner in which questions asked by
the government are to be answered. The
organization Of such boards has been rem
dered much less difficult on account of the
experience which he lawyers above referred
TO have had in the working Of the draft,
and it is probable that they will be resorted
to by the government as a foundation on
which to build the more elaborate structure
contemplated by the regulations. Our COM
mittee will, of course, place at the DISPOSE
tion Of the adjutant general and the pro-
vost marshal general all of its facilities for
selecting the 3S7 additional lawyers who will
be necessary TO fill the quota of the boards.
Precisely what the new regulations are to
be cannot be ascertained until they have
been officially issued by the provost marshal
general, but have little doubt that in this
city the members of the bar will eagerly
respond TO the appeal of the President and
cooperate in the plans of the government
for the completion of the draft in an effec-
tive and patriotic fashion.
HENRY W. TAFT,
Chairman, War Committee Of the Bar OF
the City of New York.
New York, Nov 10. 1917.