The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-10-19
USES ATTORNEYS
General CrOwder Has a Weak
ness for Big Attorneys.
He Has Many Aiding Him in
the Draft Work.

Washington, Oct. 19.-One great
factor in Provost Marshal General
Crowder's success in administering the
draft has been the type of men ne Sc
lected to assist him. General crow
der has "a weakness for lawyers, es-
pecially distinguished lawyers, ana ne
has them in quantities now. Iney are
not advisers or consultants, but nave
been taken away from lucrative pri-
vate practices, thrust into UNIFORM,
and set to work actually as aides and
staff members, to help run the ma
chine. Some of the legal luminaries
SO captured are men OF more than ma
Iional note in their profession
The first man whom General Crow
der called in from civil life was
Charles B. Warren of Detroit, now
colonel and senior officer on his staff.
Colonel Warren has written most or
the selective service regulations, and
was primarily responsible for the for
mutation of the regulations for the
first draft Incidentally Colonel War
rem has written many of the congress
sional statutes which have been enact
ed into law in connection with the
draft Colonel Warren was on two oc-
casions before becoming an aide to
General Crowder, attorney Tor the
United States in International arbl-
trations. Once, during the fisheries
dispute with Canada, he held the at
tention of the Hague tribunal with an
argument six days long. At an earlier
date he was one of the lawyers ap-
pointed by the president to argue the
case of the United States before the
Joint high tribunal created to adjudi-
cate claims of Great Britain against
the United States arising out of the
Behring sea seal fisheries controversy.
Robert Lansing, now secretary or
state was also counsel in that matter.
In addition to his career in the feld
81 i,fa In Warren
has developed g. financial career He
is heavily interested in large industrial
enterprises and banks in Detroit. his
home city, and had found time to be
president of the Detroit Chamber of
Commerce before he dropped his pr1-
waite activities to join General Crow
der's machine for downing the Hun.
His varied experience in law. bust
ness, and finance, has naturally been
an invaluable asset in laying out and
administering the draft
Col ]. H. Wigmore-most lawyers
will instantly think of 'Wigmore on
Evidence in this connection-was
dean of Northwestern university law
school and author of several recoS-
nized volumes on legal lore when the
draft organization took him. Col. j.
S Easby-Smith, a Washington attor-
ney with a supreme court practice,
came to the staff because of his sue
cessful work at the head of the Dis
trict of Columbia draft board He
exemplifies another practice General
Crowder has developed, that of picking
up an executive who has been par
ticularIy successful with the draft in
his own locality, and bringing him into
-headquarter.
Maj. ]. r. Clark, also of Washing
ton, d. c.. formerly solicitor for the
state department. has been newly add
ed to the department, as office adju-
tant The exhaustive medical pro-
visions Of the draft are now under the
direction of Col. F. +. Keefer. a regu-
lar army officer, who heads the medi-
cal division
Lieut. Col Grant Trent, who sat on
tho Philippine Islands supreme bench
several years, and Lieut.. Col Joseph
F. Fairbanks, a New England attor-
ney, give special attention to the digest
Of draft cases appealed to the presi-
dent. Lieut.. Col. Roscoe s. Conkling, a
relative OF the famed New York sena-
tor and political leader, is now par
ticularly charged with classification
questions for the whole of the draft
within the United States, because he
proved particularly successful in get
ting thru emergency organization ir
New York City. Lieut.. Col. H. c. Kra-
nfer, now heading an inspection divi-
sion, came in after making a success
in New Jersey as agent for the adju-
tant general of that state in similar
duty.
Endless tables OF figures and sta
tistics have to be marshalled to keeI
the stream of men flowing into can
comments. and for this work Genera
Crowder imported Maj. H. E. Stephen
son, late efficiency expert with thu
Pennsylvania railroad For his per
sonal military aide. General Crowdel
has Maj. J. Barry King of Oklahoma