The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-08-26

Washington, Aug. 25--At the direct
suggestion Of President Wilson, Provost
Marshal General Crowder telegraphed
to all governors tonight a supplemental
explanation of regulations governing
the status of married men under the
selective service law.
No change in regulations is made,
and the purpose Of the new statement
is to clear up misunderstandings which
have arisen in what General Crowder
| describes as "a few instances"
In letter to Secretary Baker, quoted
by General Crowder, President Wilson
| states his opinion that the regulation
directing local boards Ito establish the
fact Of dependents in addition to the
fact of marriage ought to be abrogated. 3"
This leaves the regulations as they
are and the supplementary statement
is designed merely to make the appli
cation Of the rules uniform among all
boards.
New Orders Issued.
While the statement regarding mar.
ried men was in preparation, new orders
were issued changing entirely the mo.
bilizati0n arms previously made. Con
gestion of rail traffic and the necessity
Of making better provisions for the re-
ception of the men at the cantonments
dictated the changes
Under the new orders, five per cent
of the white men, preferably those with
military experience from each local area
will be started forward to the camps
September 3, instead Of thirty per cent.
They will go in five daily detachments
Of equal size and form skeleton com.
pay organizations and set up a going
concern into which the remainder Of
the total quota can be absorbed with.
out confusion as they reach the canton
ments.
Next Quota September 10.
The next forty per cent Of the quota
win go forward September 1s, when
the second thirty per cent originally
was scheduled to go; a second forty
per cent will go forward October 3 in
stead Of the third thirty per cent: and
the remaining fifteen per cent will be
called upon as soon thereafter as prac.
ticable
Local boards are directed to disregard
order Of liability numbers to some ex-
tent IN selecting the first five per cent,
as men Of experience. such as cooks
and former soldiers, are desired at that
time. Warning is given. however. af.
ter getting into this levy by reason Of
his experience any man who might not
otherwise have been included in the
first increment Of the district at all.
Text of Message to Governors.
Following is the text Of the message
sent to the governors dealing with the
status of married men. prepared at a
conference late today between Secretary
Baker and General Crowder:
"a feeling has been expressed that
in passing on claims for discharge on
the ground Of dependents. local boards
ought in no case 10 refuse a discharge 10
a married man on to the head of a fam
lily. The law under which local boards
act requires that before such dis.
charge can be granted dependency as
well as relationship must be established.
The matter having been presented ia
the president. the following are his or.
ders thereon:
Would Avoid Hardship
We ought as far as practicable To
raise this new national army without
creating the hardships necessarily en-.
tailed when the head Of family is
taken, and ! hope that for the most
part, those accepted in the first call
would he found TO be men who had not
vet assumed such relations.
The selective service Law makes the
fact OF dependents, rather than the fact
OF marriage. the basis for exemption.
and there are undoubtedly many cases
within the dge limits fixed by law OF
men who are married and yet whose ac.
cumulations or other economic sur
roundings are such that no dependen.
cy of the wife exists in fact Plainly,
the law does not contemplate eNemp
tion for this class of men.
The regulations promulgated June
| 80 1917. should be regarded as CONTROL
| Ing in these cases, and the orders is
sued under that regulation directing ex
emption boards to establish the facts OF
dependents in addition to the fact OF
marriage ought not be abrogated'
\ Concrete Case.
THE attention of this office has beer
invi'ed to the fact that in Few In
stances local boards have certified tC
district boards and held for mniur,
service men whose families are actual,
dependent ON them for support on IN,
theory that the wife is able TO worl
and should be put 20 the necessity o
going TO work to support herself an,
children. This situation is addressed Il
the following opinion OF the distric
board Of New York City. in which opin
ion this office concurs. with the under
standing that the phrase support avail
able from relatives is support partia
or total previously extended to the an
plicant himself;
We do not concur In the view sue
gcsted In some quarters that in cas-
OF wife and children actually dependen
on applicants labor for support an
where there are no other means OF SUI
port, the wife should be put to the nece,
ity OF going to work 10 support hel
self and children
What Is Ground for Discharge.