Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-01-05
DRAFT BOARDS
TOO TECHNICAL
GET CALL DOWN FROM GENERAL
cRowDER FOR TOO sTRlcrIN.
TERPRErATloN OF RULES.
COMMON SENSE RULE
FOR ouEsr'oNNAlREs
COMMON SENSE RULE
Inadvsrtsnt Failure to Sign Certain
Sections Held Not to 30 Fatal Defect
Warning Not to 30 Taken az Abro.
cation Of Any RuIs-Losan Forwards
Advice to All Draft Boards.
Special to Times-Republican.


Des Moines, Jan. 5.-Many local
draft boards are taking too technical
a view OF the perfection to be required
In returned questionnaires. This is
pointed out In a telegram received by
Adtutant General Logan from General
Crowder and forwarded to the local
boards by GeneraLogan.
1.-THE QUESTIONABLE Is to be regarded
as q convenient method Of assembling
evidence upon which boards are to
make classifications," the telegram ex-
plains.
Registrars should Of course be re-
quired to comply with the regulations
in all essentials but the inadvertent
failure to sign the registrants name to
any series should not be regarded as a
fatal defect unless the circumstances
Of the failure are such as to put the
board on suspicion. Since the board
can, in certain cases. classify a regis
trant on no QUESTIONABLE at all it can
also classify him on defective ques-
tionnaire.
I'VE must rely on common sense and
not too much on technicalities," con-
tinues General Crowder. 1T is to be
noted that what is desired is not to
lay the ground for several million
charges of perjury but to obtain COM
plete and accurate classification While
in the ordinary case the necessary at
fidavits and signatures should be re-
quired, local boards should be reminded
that there Is ample authority in the
selective service law to punish for a
false statement even tho it is not tech
meal perjury.
This warning is not to be taken
as an abrogation Of any regulation. 1t
is intended merely to impress the spirit
Of the new selective service resula-
lions and to encourage the boards to
do away with as much red tape and
technicality as possible
The telegram further states that
railroad employees. until further orders,
will be classified under the general
Industrial classifications and not under
those relating to government emf
ployes.
over 100000 Red Cross Members.
While returns are incomplete on the
famous Red Cross drive in Iowa which
closed Christmas eve Director A. r.
Kepforti who is in charge Of the state
work expresses the faith that Iowa will
approximate one million members
John p. wallace, state chairman estl-
mates that 100000 have already been
reported.
It is further pointed out that some
chapters have been violating the regu-
lations Of the American Red Cross by
giving out sweaters direct to soldiers
This Is being done he says. in spite OF
many bulletins and instructions which
have been sent to the chapters.
"A chapter can not give sweaters to
soldiers without violating regulations
states Director Kepford.
1T has no right to give anything
whatsoever to any person or persons
When people give money to the Reo
Cross they give 1t to. the American
National Red Cross and not to indivld-
uals who happen to be officials OF a
chapter. Chapters can not disourse
money except for raw materials ano
such other purposes as are designated
by the American Red Cross.
TT is beautiful sentiment which
prompts q chapter to outfit the boys
Of it's own home town but not a soldier
has been sent to France who has not
been QUILTED before leaving. 1t can
be plainly seen therefore that chapters
in undertaking to outfit their own boys
disturb the whole scheme as planned
and developed by the American Nation :
al Red Cross. Let me repeat tnat II IS
a serious violation OF regulations ana
that all chapters are warned against
such procedure"