Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-02-04
MUST CLEAR WEDDINGS
OF SLACKER'S TAINT
Thousands of Young Men Will
Have to Show Uncle Sam
Marriage Motives

Thousands Of young men oC 'hi,a-
dclphi1 its suburbs and surrounding
counties who married since May is last
have had AN exceedingly ticklish prob
lem thrust upon them by tho draft
boards Of their vicinities--that of prov
ing they did not enter the matrimonial
contract as a means OF escaping service
in tho National Army. Federal regu-
lations require the production of def
mite proof showing tnat the marriage
was not for Tie purpose Of cvadng mill
tary service.
Dan cupid has rushed to the inner
rcCcsseS Of his huge library and labO-
ratory to see whether he can aii his
constituents out Of the bcwildering
forest In which they have become lost
lie has searched high and low, neglect
ing nothing written by the bards Of
old in which the solution of the riddle
might be found, but no matter how hard
he has searched or how deeply he has
thought there seems to be little he can
do to help the recently made married
men.
The Federal regulations for the first
draft specified that any rcgistrant mar
ricd after May IS should not be eX-
bIllDt IRON military uutN, | MS llGt"
all such marriages into the Stacker class.
Local boards had 10 alternative but 10
reject claims based upon dependency of
such wives.
When the Reconsideration was UNDER
taken and the qucStOnnaircS were dis
trlbuted on last December II II more
liberal Interpretation of the ruling was
promulgated by Brgadcr General
CrCwder. the provost marshal. but the
90 h. ,Io1 ,A,,
changed. chairmen of local boards were
informed such men We're To be exempted
from service If in their opinion the mar
riages wcro not hastily contracted and
were not of the Stacker variety.
Hundreds CT young men proceeded TO
fill out their questiOnnaireS, naming as
dependents wives whom they had mar
ried since the barred date and for the
support of whom they claimed cxemp-
ton from service. 1t was generally as
sumed by rcgstrants that local boards
would consider the length of tho period
between the first draft and the recassi-
ficaton and consider II too long q time
for levers to keep separated. They never
for a moment thought. they told an EVE
MING PUBLIC LEDGER Investigator, that
the Government would question their
patriotism by the fact that they had
married during the war.
prOtraCted discussion CT the marriage
question by members of the district eX-
cmption boards, preciptated by appeals
against decisions Of local boards in re-
fusing to recognize such wives as de.
pendents and to grant deferred Classin-
cation, came az a complete surprise &c,
these young men. When the exemption
boards requested tho Chairmen of local
boards TO investigate such claims and
afiix their findings and belief as to the
genuineness Of the reglstrants' asser-
tions to the QUESTIONABLE they were as
founded.
Then arose the question as to how.
they We're to prove that their marriage
had not been contracted to escapc the
draft. Local draft board members were
canvassed by reporter for the EVE
MING PUBLIC LEDGER In an effort to
learn what evidence was desired from
registrants. The general reply was that
Washington probably would soon rule
on the matter
An opinion from a legal source was
obtained. This reads:
"Cnder section ~ Of the salectlvc
service regulations. rule 5, the depend
ency of wife married after May is,
1917, is ground for deferred classified
ton unless the marriage is contracted
Tor the primary purpose CT evadng mill
tary service. In order that local excmp-
ton boards may be able to determine
whether or not such marriages were
contracted for that purpose registrants
shoult he advised to submit additional
aftidav.,s tC the local exemption boar ls
showing the facts surrounding such mar,
riages."
Ono board member said young men
would be called by local boards and
given opportunity 20 explain why they
had married after May IS. He said they
would be given every opportunity to
explain and could bring their relatives.
friends or employers to substantiatc
their recltals.
We will make 1t our business to learn
what the incomes OF these men were
before the draft law became effective
and try to learn why they had not mar
ried before May 49," this member con-
tinued. IF we find that they suddenly
acquired money they believed sufficient
to marry upon and then hastily con-
sunmated the ceremony they will have
TO explain still further
1t VIII be an easy matter for us TO
detect Stacker marriages. Once we get
hold Of the registrant and begin 10
question him his reasons soon will be
learned We are confident we will be
able TO locate those desirous of shlrkinr
their duties without inconveniencing The
vast majority of the young men to any
great extent"