Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-06-11
|IDOCK BEGINS
ROBE OF DRAFT
|epresentative of State Ad.
jutant General, Here,
Opens Inquiry
10 CONFER WITH DwYER
classification of Childless
Married Men May Be
Advanced

Hom Harrisburg and promises a thor
ough investigation of the draft irregu-
lorities charged in this city. He rep
reeents Adjutant General Beary.
Il am going to the bottom of this
I A4nir." the major said this afternoon
s am investigating the ella lassifcaton of
drafted men and the failure of SO many
alions to register for the army last
"wednesday.
shall probably be here two or
Z three days. l have a number of per-
sons to see and will go into every phase
OF the matter"
Among those with whom Major Muir
dock will confer is John F. Dwyer. sec
retAry of Local Board 32, Overlook,
mo desires reclassfication. He de-
3 cifned to say whether he would see
Walter Willard. chairman of District
Appeal Board 2. II has been charged
! this board gave married men without
children the privilege of deferred class-
4 dcation.
FAIR Classification May Result
An equitable classification of men
registered for the draft, which may put
thousands of young married men in
Philadelphia in Class 2-B instead OF
: Class "A, win likely result from the
probe into selective draft Irregularities
which is now under way.
A Major Murdock today with Assist
ant United States District ATTORNEYS
Walnut and Daniels. and large
torce Of agents of the Department of
Justice. started the investigation which
viii take them back to June 5, 1917
when the draft law became effective
with the registration of every man
petween the ages of twenty y-one and
tnlrty-one years in the United States.
Local draft boards welcome the in
vestigation, the heads say. They declare
II Will dispel all doubt as to classical
tion OF various registrants whose status
mas long been regarded as mystifying
Charges made to President Wilson by
Dwyer, that District Board No. . de-
liberately violated instructions issued
last January by Provost Marshal Cen
eral Crowder caused the investigation.
Dwyer charged the appeals board with
showing favoritism and permitting out
side influence to sway its action on
caassincations, citing two examples.
Relative to Married Men
Many local draft boards, not clear
on the ruling of dependency. have placed
every married man. with or without
children, who was welded before May
-. 1917, in Glass A, IT is said, while
Others have distinguished between the
married men with children and those
ltnout oy placins the FORMER IN lass
t-A Ano tRe iatter In Class 2-b' II. IN
tne iatter CLASS, tne wite was heaithy.
had been employed before marriage ana
could resume the same employment upon
~ nusoano peihs saieo Ior ii''',ai!
Svice. An uhneaithg Whe was con-
: H@efeo grounds TOT placing tne regis
sttAnt IN Class "a by latter boards.
lA3or Murdock and the Federai m
K xoatigators will go deeply into TINS
p.lqse of the draft. 1t is said there are
4 thcklsands of young men in this city
y With healthy wives able to work and
e,,nnort themselves. who have been
1900 in class "A
Air .h.s. NAV be p,aced in Glass 2-B
S-ss~ ths inysstigation il COMPLETED
! ..s']. Al, - ,has,, mt military camns
Wnicn VIII seho 'neih i''o ~, ~. ~,
many months ahead OF the 'hne 'hes
had expected to go.
r.,,
rroseeu''o"s "' o"'"
Major Murdoch, before leaving Har-
xsahurr declined to discuss the investi-
declarinV the information at
8 80 ,,,a..ar 10 Warrant anv
nAnu was too '
statement OF what m'ght haPpeh'
Some officials believe prosecutions will
Z foJIow when II is shown that some
Sn.rd. were guilty. OF faerant irreg-
s ul.rtties while others took the view
thsy in most cases classification irreg
,,l. ritias wara due ~ fail,ire IN rightly