New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-10
Wires Governors to Take
Drastic Action Against
Unfair Claims
Stricter Rule Possible
Discharges for Dependency
May Be Greatly Restricted
by Washington

WASHINGTON, Aug. 9.-Wholesalt
claims for exemption from the army
draft, reported from many sections
caused Provost Marshal General Crow
der TO telegraph the Governors Of the
states tonight directing that Local
boards reduce discharges for de-
tendency to far more restricted class
and to very necessitous and clearly de-
fined circumstances"
In some districts as high as so pei
cent Of the registrants called for ex-
animation are filing claims for dis
charge on the ground of dependent
relatives. Such a condition indicates
General Crowder said, that unfair adj
vantage is being taken of the regula-
tons designed to protect men who
properly should'be exempted from mill
tary service and actually threatens to
interfere seriously with raising the Ma
tional Army.
The message to the Governors said:
Section of the selective service law
exempts no person from military SER
vice on the ground Of dependency. II
only authorizes the President to ex-
clude or discharge from draft those in
a status with respect to persons de-
pendent upon them for support which
renders their exclusion or discharge
advisable
Army Need Comes First
"The controlling necessity is to raise
an army. 1t is advisable to disturb
dependents just as little as the neces-
sity of raising an army will permit.
To this end Section Is of the reguls-
tons was compiled carefully and af-
ter the most earnest consideration. II
experience is to prove that the gen.
erous conditions prescribed by Section
10, or any abuse Of them, will inter
fere with the raising of an army, then
it is no longer advisable to discharge
so wide q class. and the conditions
stated therein will have to be restrict
ed until an advisable rule is reached.
Nothing has happened to change
the belief that the persons enumerated
in Section 10 could be discharged
without interfering with the raising
of an army, but there are indications
that abuses of Section Is may render
its 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 a percentage Of claims when
viewed in connection with all available
statistics indicates beyond question
that advantage is being taken Of the
provisions of the law and regulations
! which were intended to reduce to a
minimum the misery at home normally
attendant upon war.
New Regulation Possible
"This state of affairs greatly in
creases the burden of local boards for,
il so high a percentage of registrants
claim exemption, only the uncom-
promising action Of local boards can
prevent a new regulation of the sub
ject of dependency which shall reduce
discharges for dependency TO a FAR
more restricted class and to very
necessitous and clearly defined cireum-
stances.
at is thus apparent that the fling OF
these improper claims will react direct
~ and injuriously on persons whom the
present regulations were designed TO
protect. and that the welfare of persons
who have filed bona fde claims under
the present generous clauses Of the reg
ulations is seriously imperilled by per
sons 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 ex-
emption in every doubtful case.
at is true that cases of discharge on
the ground of dependency are appealed
70 the district board, but this clause is
only inserted to secure uniformity OF
action. District boards are to examine
these cases to discover departures from
the law, regulations and rulings, and
they will not, and cannot, open every
case on its merits. II is In the local
boards alone, therefore, that the solu-
ton of the difficulty and the protection
Il g. liz