The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-08-01
Warns That Rush on Marriage
Bureaus viii Not Save Men
From Draft
FIRST RlCHMONDERS
EXAMINED TODAY
Fourth Division Will Begin Its
Work in Prevocational School
Building at Twenty-second
and Broad

Washington, July 31.-Behind the
petticoats OF spouse acquired for
the purpose of evading draft will be
no safe place for a Stacker TO hide.
The young men who have thronged
the marriage license bureaus since
July 20 In the fond hope that the
government would look upon them as
exempt, probably have thrown their
hymenial efforts away.
They may even have committed a
rnisdem eanor and be liza Die to prose
ton.
Provost Marshal General Enoch II.
Crowder, aroused today by the re-
ports OF throngs of men of draft age
invading the marriage license nu-
Ireau in the larger cities. made TINS
perfectly plain. He announced. ny
section of the act Of May Is cine
CONSUMPTION acO. any person VINO
evades or aids another to evade the
requirements OF this act Ia guilty OF
a misdemeanor and local boards are
authorized to warn persons who claim
discharge on the ground OF marriage
contracted since the date OF the act,
that both parties are liable TO prose
cution under this provision. II in fact
the marriage was contracted soieS
with the intent to evade the perform
ance of military duty
III necessary" said Secretary Baker
today, I'VE will ask the president TO
these slackers. II that is not enough
we may ask congress for further legis-
iation on this subject
The provost marshalgenerafs or
fee today showed It was alive to the
large numbers OF exemptions claim
ed 1t instructed each local board
to continue calling up men until It
had ten per cent more to examine
than originally allotted.
The provost marshal still believes
that one out of every four men ex-
ar,ined will be liable and AZ for ser
vice. but he is taking no chances, Of
having the supply OF men called run
short at the last minute,
The statement of the provost mar
shal-general concerning draft mar
, riares was made in response 20 the
/ query Of New Jersey local board or n
case IN point.
/ Marriage Is not Of itself" General
! Crowder replied, "a valid ground for
making claim of discharge
"A man whose VIE is r:>inly de-
! pendent on his daily labor for sup
port may claim exemption on that
| ter OF fact. The rule does not ask
j is the wife, as matter of fact. main
/ ~ dependent on the daily labor Of
! her husband for support?''"
/ Only the exemption boards can es-
I Ia lish this fact. Where dependency
4 is claimed and the facts show a mar
! rfage hastily contaminated since July
/ 20 by a man whose numhe Is high on
I the available list the actual fact OF
! dependency must be closely scru-
| tsnized."
| II is further pointed out that the
! exemption boards have the widest
| powers of determining this actual de-
| tendency. They are not bound by
, legal rules OF evidence. They are TO
| investigate and decide In their own
/ way
! The law was supposed" said Sec
| rotary Baker this afternoon. i'm
mediately upon its passage to lay its
hand on the shoulder of every Ameri-
| cen Of the ages specified and warn him
| OF his liability to serve. The men who
have endeavored to incur disability
since that time will be most closely
| Continued on second page)