Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1918-09-03
INEQUALITIES OF CLASsIEICA-
TION.

TlON.
"some time ago 1t became apparent
that different local boards were fol-
lowing different rules In classifying
married men for military serytee,
Speaking In general terms, four local
boards had put practically az their
married men in class four while tho
remaining twenty boards had followed
the regulations more nearly and PAD
classified married registrants tn class
four or In q higher GLASS according to
whether the family Of the registtant
seemed incapable or capable Of Dom.
Portable financial support Il the reg.
istrant should enter the service.
"In the effort to correct this ineQual-
ity, the authorities at Washington sug-
gested to the adjutant generals office
that a general appeal might be taken
from the local boards to the district
boards In all class four cases. It was
suggested that an order for similar ap-
peals was under consideration for the
entire country. In his desire to carry
out promptly every suggestion Of the
War Department the adjutant general
prepared an order Of this kind and
sent 1t to the government appeal
agents of some Of the boards. At this
point the matter came to my attention
and l had the order withdrawn and In
structed the adjutant general that we
would not issue such an order Ia this
state 30 long as the matter came mere
!y as a suggestion from Washington,
but only In the event Of definite or
ders from Washington.
Some weeks later the definite order
did come from Washington together
with the statement that 1t was pro-
posed to issue the same order to all
the states and the same order was IN
fact issued to many Of them II not TO
all Of them.
"I not only did not initiate or sug.
gest this procedure but now that the
order is no longer in force am free
to say that / did not and do not ap-
prove Of It and the fact that General
Crowder and his associates later re-
scinded the order shows that they
finally decided 1t was unwise and that
the desired results could be secured In
another way.
ORDER FROM WASHINGTON.
"You will note, however, that mo
order was given by Washington and
passed along to the local boards and
appeal agents like any other military
order, that while 1t was In force the ad-
1utant general and myself were IN
duty bound to carry II out In Maine
and to refrain from discussing its Wis
dom or unwisdom.
"You will note also that the order
was never q reclasAncat1on order pus
only directed that decisions Of the To-
cal boards In class four cases be re-
viewed by the district boards and re-
classified az occasion might require IN
cases where the local board was found
to be In error. Neither the Governor
nor the adjutant general have ever
had any authority to direct decisions
or to influence decisions Of either 10
cal or district boards and no such o.
tempt has ever been made In any In
stance.
"Any statement to the contrary
shows either gross ignorance OF the
Law or a deliberate Intention to de-
oeiye. Had the order remained In
force these cases would I'll have been
reviewed by district boards upon which
were sitting such well known and re-
spected Democrats a. Judge 3. Wade
Halliday Of Newport, Judge william
n. Newell Of Lewiston and Mr.. Leslie
McIntire of East Waterford.