The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1917-08-16
MANY SEEKING EXEMPTION
DIRECTS BOARDS TO REDUCE DIS
CHARGES FOR DEPENDENCY.
In Some Districts so Per Cent Called
are Claiming Exemption Be-
cause of Dependents.

Washington, Aug. 9.-Wholesale
claims for exemptions from the army
draft, reported from many sections,
caused Provost Marshal Gen. Crowder
to telegraph the Governors of the
States tonight directing that local
boards "reduce discharges for depend
ency to a far more restricted class
and to very necessitous and clearly
defined circumstances"
In some districts as high as so per
cent of the registrants called for ex-
animation are filing claims for dis
charge on the ground of dependent
relatives. Such a condition indicates,
Gen. Crowder said, that unfair ad-
vantage is being taken of the regula-
tions designed to protect men who
properly should be exempted, and ac-
tually threatens to interfere seriously
with the raising of the national army.
Crowder's Message.
The message follows:
Section ? of the selective service
law exempts no person from military
service on the ground of dependency.
1t only authorizes the President to eX-
clude or discharge from draft those
in status with respect to persons
dependent upon them for support
which renders their exclusion or dis
charge advisable
"Controlling necessity is to raise
an army. 1t is advisable to disturb de-
pendents just as little as the necessity
of raising an army will permit. To
this end section IS of the regula-
tions was compiled carefully and af-
ter the most earnest consideration.
If experience is to prove that the
generous conditions prescribed by Sec
tion IS, or any abuse of them, will
interfere with the raising of an army,
then it is no longer advisable to dis
charge so wide class and the condi-
tions stated therein will have to be
restricted until an advisable rule is
reached.
Indications of Abuse.
Nothing has happened to change
the belief that the persons enumerat-
ed in section Is could be discharged
without interfering with the raising
of an army, but there are indications
that abuses of section Is may render
it's continuance no longer advisable.
Reports are to the effect that, in
some districts, as high as so per cent
of persons called before local boards
are filing claims for discharge on the
ground of dependent relatives. Such
percentage of claims when viewed
in connection with all available sta
tistics indicates beyond question that
advantage is being taken of the pro-
visions of the law and regulations
which are intended to reduce to a
minimum the misery at home normal
ly attendant upon war.
There is a moral certainty in the
extravaganza of this percentage that
hundreds of unfounded claims are in
cluded in these totals.
Increases the Burden.
"This state of affairs greatly in
creases the burden of local boards for,
if so high a percentage of registrants
claim exemption, only the uncompro-
missing action of local boards can pre-
vent new regulation on the subject
of dependency which shall reduce dis
charges for dependency to far more
restricted class and very necessltous
and clearly defined circumstances.
1T is thus apparent that the filing
of these improper claims will react
directly and injuriously on persons
whom the present regulations were
designed to protect and that the well
fare of persons who have filed bona
fide claims under the present generous
clauses of the regulations, is serious
Iy imperiled by persons who have filed
claims without merit, and that the
only protection of persons whose cases
are within the meaning of the present
rules, lies in the power of local boards
to refuse exemption in every doubtful
case.
1T is true that cases of discharge
on the ground of dependency are ap-
pealed to the district board, but this
clause is only inserted to secure uni
formity of action. District boards are
to examine these cases TO discover de-
partures from the law, regulations
and rulings: and they will not and
cannot open every case on its merits.
It is in the local boards. therefore,
that the solution of the difficulty and
the protection of deserving claimants
lies "