Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-07-25
IlVVESTTCATOR
PROBING DRAFT
Dsrict Appeal Board No. 2
Z loseted With Colonel
Easby.Smith
'XCCUSED OF NEGLECT
Ore Than 1000 Names Re.
turned to Local Bodies Said
to Be Unreported
'xCCUSED OF NEGLECT

Members of District Appeal Board No,
\ 1Are cioseted with Colonel ]. s. Easily
smith, Federal draft investigator, to ex-
4 plain charges of delinquency in the
y10orAtion of the draft law.
The meeting Is being held at the head
quarters of the board, 9l7 Chestnut
stfeet. and is r closed session. inquiry
Into the activities of the board grew out
of the complaints of local board mem
: bery that official business passed on to
the board for action has been filed away
with no effort made to decide the issue
involved.
.ts Radical changes in the makeup ot
? the board are expected 10 follow the dis
olpsure that the board has been lax in
ropofting at least 1000, and possibly
y 1000 draft delinquents to the State draft
y headquarters at Harrisburg.
The list of delnquents was found by
4 Colonel Easily Smith on July IL. and
on his return here from Washington last
night, where he had been to place the
matter before the Federal draft officials.
ne strongly hinted at drastic action to
be taken with the board because of the
alleged negligence of the members.
Investigator, on July 10. and on his re-
turn here from Washington last night.
where he had been to place the matter
before the Federal. draft officials, he
strongly hinted at drastic action to be
taken with the board because of the
alleged negligence of the members. He
win call upon the board today for an
explanation.
The list includes men from local boards
Nos. IS, 10. 81, "a. 26. %. 30, al "a,
~, 81. ss, 40. a, As, AZ and so The
names had been reported between Au-
gust and November of last year. and
since that time had lain in the oftice of
the district appeal board without any
action having been taken.
Each of the boards named, Colonel
Easby-Smith SAYS. had returned from
! one to ten lists, each list containing be-
tween two and fifty names of delin-
quents
John T. Dwyer, chairman of local
board No. 32, reports having returned
&14 names to the board, upon none Cf
which. he says, was the proper action
taken. Local Board No SO returned
nine reports of draft slackers, all of
which are said to have been pigeon
holed.
Draft regulations provide that all
these sheets should have been recorded
i BY the district board and then forwarded
to the office of the Adjutant General
~ Harrisburg. The names Of the men
Who had already entered some branch
~ service would have been stricken out
end the remaining ones announced as
Gxeft evaders.
EsSS Colonel Easby-Smith refused to dis.
kSG19g the action to be taken aga inst the
10Y6 when he concludes his investiga- =
\ flon. probably this week. He will send
bio report along with the action he
recommends to- Provost Marshal Gem
ofAl Crowder, for his approval, he said
1T fs hard for me TO approximate the
exact number" said Colonel Easily
smith, but / can only say that lists
from one sheet to nine were found by
me and sent to Harrisburg on July l3.
! asked that questionnaires be sent to
these delinquents Immediately, in order
that we could get their status as
quickly as possible And some of these
sheets had been in the district board's s
hands since last August. Others had
been sent there as late as November OF
last year
District Appeal Board No. 2 has been
under fire of various charges for some
time. Walter Willard, an attorney. is
chairman.
In explaining the latest order of Gen.
ArAl Crowder to the effect that all
Glass men are to be called during
the next few weeks, Colonel Easily
smith said that the calling of these
men will not necessarily mean that
ClAss 2 men will be called, too as by
that time many of the June registra nts
who have not been classified as yet
Will receive their classification, and as
most OF them will be in the first class.
flsAt division will be strengthened.
Philadelphia will furnish most of the
X negroes called by the draft authorities
to 90 to Camp Sherman, commencing
August l. The quotas for the 23sO men
Tor Sherman and 276s for Camp Gus
ter, Battle Creek, Mich, were announced
telay.
X Another communication said TO have
come from Grover Cleveland BergdoIl
vas received by his mother. Mrs Emma
G. Bergdoll. He again expresses a de-
: sire to enter the aviation service as an
Instructor.
The message was sent on a postcard
mailed in San Francisco on July IS. II
reads:
Dear Mother--Am feeling fine.
Everything is well. would like them
to accept my proposition. BRG."
The proposition referred to is that the
Federal authorities drop prosecution and
( permit him to enter the aviation service.
This offer has been declined by the Gov
crnment officials.