Norwich bulletin., 1918-09-11
cRoWDER TELLS EMPLOYERS
 TO NAME ESSENTlAI MEN

TO NAME ESSENTIAL MEN | Heads of industries in Norwich who
 have been having many anxious mo-
 ments over the possibility that men i in their employ whom they consider lhighly essential and whose with
 drawal through call by the operation 1 of. the selective service draft would
 mean a serious derangement of their
 business machinery learned with spe- ! cial interest on Tuesday night of
 Provost Marshal General Crowder's l advice that employers should claim
 exemption for such persons
 | General CroWder asks employers to
 study their plants and industry. to single out really indispensable indi- yiduals, and to study the conditions l Of deferment as provided in the reg
 ulations, mentioning the possibility
 of training substitutes and the avail ability of women workers
 ln a statement to employers and | other representatives of industry. Central Crowder said the time had come when he must address to them some recommendations as to their 1 share of responsibility in the classi- 1 fication of the new registrants and added:
 T have noticed in the general ex-
 precision of the public attitude which
 reach this office frequently. two fea- lures which lead me to the present
 comments. One of these features is
 the belief that the process of awarding deferred classification to a registrant 1 requires merely the filling out of the
 questionnaire and that the selectiye
 service boards will perceive the pro-
 priety of making the defernlent, with out the assistance furnished by the registrants formal claim indicating the deferment desired. The other fea- l ture is the employers failure to real ize his responsibility to intervene in aiding the boards determination. and
 theerfore to inform himself fully on all the considerations which should affect inc decision as to the deferuent Both of these features are due to a slngle larger fact. viz. a failure on the part Of many to reflect on the in dustrial considerations covering de- . ferred classification
 "As to the first mentioned belief it must be pointed out that if it were l universally acted upon, the process of classification would be seriously ham
 pered and delayed. Some one must indicate that the individual case is one which should arrest the special attention of the boards in respect to the registrant's occupationai status
 The boards will welcome and will need all the aid that can be furnish ed by the indication of claim made i for, deferment.
 But who is to make that claim :? Ordinarily, the registrant himself will indicate the claim on his question: nalre. But if through mistaken cl1ival- ry, he should fail to do so, another may make it for him. In industry. agri- culture, or other occupations. this oth- CT person will naturally be his en ploEer or some other representative of his associated group
 Youths 19 and 20 years and men be-
 tween the ages of g and 36. inclusive who register Thursday, will first be called to the colors. General Crow der announced on Tuesday. and until the supply of available fighting ma l terial in their ranks has been ex- hausted elder men will not be inducted
 into service. Questionnaires will 20 out first. to 1egistrants of these ages and local boards have been ordered to proceed with their speedy classifica-
 tlons so that some of them may be called in October
 Pointing out that in classifying
 men above the ages Of S1 the army draft would be attacking the conn
 try's economic life and entering an uneXpiored field, General Crowder in
 public statement to all employers and industrial representatives be-
 oesought their aid in applying the plans of industrial 1eferments so that
 the maintenance Of the military es-
 tablishment or Of teh national inter est during the emergency" may not
 be interfered with.
 Before issuing his appeal General Clowder had again pointed out that on estimates of experts the War De partment could expect to draft from the classes above the age of 31 only e0l ,OO0 men physically it for military service and not entitled to deferred classification on the grounds of de- pendercy Or occupation He also said that men of 19 and 20 years called were entitled to admission { othe seu- dents training corps at the 400 sec ondary schools with which the war department has made contracts. but added that this corps would number l30,O men: while over 5000, 900 youths below q will register Thursday.
 Methods Of selecting those to be in ducted into military service and ed ucationaI training corps, he said. were the concern of other branches of the administration,