Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-06-14
ALTO WlIS()N
IN DRAFT PROBE
President Has All Facts.
Says Adjutant Gen.
eral Beary
SEEK OFFICIAL RULING
Interpretation of Various
Classifications of Regis.
trants Is Desired
SEEK OFFICIAL RULING

Adjutant General Frank D. Beary
principal State draft officer, said toda,
that all the facts in the Philadelphia
draft probe are now In the hands o
President Wilson. Adjutant Genera
Besry is confident that the Presiden
will render a decision within the mex
few days.
The President has been asked to orde
an official Interpretation Of the classic
cations OF draft registrants.
| Many draft boards. as well as draf
district appeal boards. have interpreted
| Inherently the extent of the Ave classes
Several hold TO the argumetn that .
married man. regardless Of whether h,
has wife CT childen to support should
be placed in Class 4.
Others believe he should be placed in
Class 2. II is this difference of opinion
that caused John p. Dwyer. secretary
of the overbrook draft board, to make
charges against District Appeal Board
No 2.
Major Murdock to Retsrn
This information became known to-
day when Adjutsnt General Beary was
seen at his home In Allentown. He was
in Philadelphia yesterday, where he con-
tinued the draft probe which Ma jor
Murdoch officially started.
Coincident with the statement that
President Wilson has been notified Of
all the facts in the Philadelphia draft
probe. it is reported that Major Muir
dock will return to Philadelphia. where
he will continue the investigation he
started lost week.
Adjutant General Beary Ia Governor
Brumbaugh's personal representative in
the administration of the draft in Penn
sylvana. He said today that two weeks
ago when the present draft probe be-
came imminent he forwarded informa
ton to the President. He said he has
kept this up and that the chief executive
as well as Provost Marshal General
Crowder are posted on all the develop
ments in the Philadelphia draft probe
to date
There is only one person in the coun-
try who can give a decision on the in
depreciation of the classification in
volved,' declared Adjutant General
Beary.
1T is up to the President. and l have
had the matter up with the authorities
in Washington for the last two weeks.
A decision should be forthcoming soon"
He expressed confidence in the work
done by Major Murdock and said that
he believed he would clean up the
present draft muddle before long.
Dismissals Up TO Mayor
Dismissal Of any local draft board
members who have been guilty of show
ing favoritsm in the classification of
registrants is put directly up to Mayor
Smith by Governor Brumbaugh.
The governor, In a letter to Mayor
Smith, has demanded that the city exc
cutive state at once II any OF the boards
have been Influenced by political OF
other purposes"
"If it appears that the charges have
the slightest foundation in fact, upon a
statement to this effect from you, these
men will be dismissed" the governors
letter said. you will please give this
matter the careful attention its gravity
warrants and hasten to me your con-
clusions."
Mayor Suggested Local Boards
Governor Brumbaugh appointed the
local and district board members Of this
city upon nomination by Mayor Smith.
The governor, at the same time sent
a letter to Adjutant General Beary.
telling him any board member known
to have departed knowingly from his
duties Is to be summarily dismissed. He
declared the widest investigation Of the
reported draft inquiries would be made
by the State, and said Attorney General
Francis Skunk Brown will look into the
between Albert II. Ladner. of
the board of registration commissioners,
and the recent case of Jacob P. Baltz.
Harry Ladner, a brother OF the COM
missioner. who was a notary public, has
his seal following an investisa-
tion of charges made by Secretary John
p. Dwyer. of Local Board No. 80.
Investigators have reported that con-
ditions in the Forty-third Ward will re-
quire the strictest possible scrutiny.
Charges have been made that politics
have dominated the actions in this ward,
and have been denied by d. Frank Black,
chairman of the Forty-fourth board. and
Harry Fricke, Of the Forty-fifth board
Both Black and Fricke are Ware lead
ers in the ward. Mr.. Black Is chairman
of the city committee and Fricke a
candidate for the Legislature.