New-York tribune., 1918-01-03
Politics in the Draft


Ic tho Editor of The Tribune
Sir: The facts herein raise several ques-
tons. Most Of them the public will answer.
I ask you to help nc answer the one that
must be asked first:
wiz The appointment to membership Of
local eremption boords Of men arho are
n"tia'e IN politics or stho haze political o,nJi-
tons Pronsoto cleon ond foir odninistrntion
Of the droN fu.o IN Ne,v York Cuy,
The question is asked because the Gov
ernor, after due consideration, refused on
December % to stand for the policy recon-
mended to him by the member of the adjutant
generals New York Office staff in charge Of
the bureau OF personnel of local boards, and
appointed the district leader of political
party a member OF an exemption board in
Brooklyn.
The Investigator
On November % citizen of New I{amp-
shire called upon the secretary Of the Mayot's
Committee Of National Defence to offer gratis
any service he could give our countr, during
his four months stay in this city. A certain
instinct for gettl1g at the truth of any mat
ter BY Investigation had been developed in
nm by early training ard by thirty one years
practice in many fields of activity. He
had known New York continr ously for thir-
ty -one years, but hadn't single social or
political ambition here. He gave. unimpeacf
able references as to loyalty, character and
capacity, and asked to be told of something
he could do.
lie was put to work as assistant to the dj-
rector OF the committee on November "a. His
work was to recommend men for appoint
ment as members OF local exemption boards
to i'll vacancies.
re found that the CORES sponGencc and
memoranda handed to him disclosed no pol
ICY and no method, unless it be q method to
ask Dr Hicks or Mr.. kracke, or this man or
that to name somebody and to recommend
him'for appointment after investigating him
without seeing him. That method is, or in
evtablv becomes, political.
He camc back 10 his work on Mon,a,. No.
>ember 26. to try out a new idea. q new no)-
icy ami a new method. 1t was tried out for
twenty four working days
Early in December he became !. member of
tire staff of the adjutant generals New York
cfce, and Saturday, December 22. he pre-
idea, the policy, the methods and the results
achieved IN twenty-four working days.
Cutting Out Politics
lhc new idea was that each local cxenrp-
ton board should, under proper guidance,
il'i vacancies in it's membership; that the
lS' boards should be scrutinized in turn aud
undesirsble clements wccdcd out with the
heip OF the worthy and worth while me.nbers
ana Of the governments attorney and conf
dentlai nan. the government appeal agent;
that reliance would be had largely on i'm
pressions obtained in conversations face to
face in The Hall of Records, and that no man
would be recommended for appointment
without first seeing him and noting his reac
ton to questions asked and statements made
with straightforward and even blunt frank
ness.
The pocs was to take these local excon-
ton boards absolutely out OF politics.
The results Of twenty-four working days'
work amazed tho man N charge of the adm
tant generals New York Office Worthy and
worth while members of boards responded
to 1t as famished men do when food is of
tered Professor Gottheil, of Columbia. snd
Professor Pedersen, Of the College Of the
City of New York. and others came to the
ilall o. Records to be looked over before being
recommended for appointment, and were glad
TO conform to method they said was ad
m'rablo. The man from New Hamnshiro was
h:inseit as much surprised at the results as
anybody else. In twenty-four working davs
twenty y-eiglt local exemption boards we're
scrutniaed and substitusions in them were
recommended Quite :. few OF these cases
involved reorganization and the elimination
Of an element deemed undesirable. Twenty
eight more boards were in the bureau Under
going scrutiny, the need Of REORGANIZATION
being already obvious in several cases 1n
letter, presented to General Sheriff. IN nor
son on December %, and carefully read bv
him, the man FROM New Hampshire wrote.
"At the rate the boards are now com.
ing into the bureau for action, the whole
's9 will have been Investigated and nut in
sha9e before leave here nest spring TO
go to ny home in New iEaya pshire. The
work needs doing. It goes to the very source
Of clean and fair administration Of the Sc
iective service law in this city and helps to
keep it pure. 1t gives the boards something
they seem to appreciate. q man at your office