Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-09-20
CLAUSE
PUZZLES DRAFTEES.
Answering Query Anent
Claiming Deferred CIassifi-
cation Not Compulsory.
CAN PUT 1T UP TO BOARD
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

By DAVID LAWRENCE.
Copyright, 1918, by n. 7. Evening Post, Ine.)
Ever since the first questionnaires
were issued men have paused when
confronted with the question, "Do you
claim exemption or deferred classifi-
cationa" Registrants between the ages
of twenty -one and thirty-one found it
embarrassing. Thoss IL the rev 5ase
groups who registered Last week prob
ably, .Eenld find it the saPe basaHsa it il
never was widely explaf6ed thsss &c
individual need not answer the ques;
ton at all. But there are advantages
to the registrant as we'll as the gov
ernment in answering that question.
Obviously it is one Of the most difii-
cult of problems to explain or regulate
by formal rule or regulation. 1.
Many a man who has wife 5and
family dependent upon him is anxious
to go to war, only the government has
specifically said in the law enacted
by Congress that exemptions should
be given those whose departure would
thrust upon the government an eco
nomic burden in caring for the wom-
en- and children left behind. Simt-
larly many man who is considered
indispensable by his employers is in
different to whether his employer sue
ceeds in holding him. His attitude is
simply this: If the government thinks
he ought to stay and help in the in
dustry in which he is engaged. he Is
willing to do SO; if the government
thinks he would make q better SOL
der than skilled worker, or if there
are enough skilled workers in his oc-
cupation so that he can be spared,
he is anxious to serve at the front or
elsewhere.
Avoid Seeming Effort to Evade.
So far as answering the question or
making a claim for exemption. indi-
viduaIs of this kind do not for a mo-
ment want to place themselves in
any position which could be con-
strued as an effort on their part to
evade military service or be excused
therefrom. Some men will neither
their employers in seeking exemption
or deferred classification.
There has been argument galore on
this very point ever since the. selec-
tive draft law was passed. President
wilson himself is reported to have
ordered at the time the first registra-
tion cards were sent out that the
question "Do you claim exemption
naed not be answered. Many local
boards which did not get word IN time
insisted on an answer and some reg
istrants were forced to enter the
n1ain in behalf of their dependent
antilles when they felt that the gov
eminent itself should have discovered
whether or not they ought TO De ex-
empted. And when the questionnaires
with their searching investigator OF
an individuals family relations were
;ssuad regfstrants felt also that the
eovernment asked enough questions
r. determine for itself who should be
called or who should be deferred
Rut Provost Marshal General Crow
der tells me that there never was the
Slightest intention to introduce any
thing Of the character outlined above
and IL it had that unfortunate effect
This certainly was not what his office
intended by the question He refers
to it even today as simply conven-
fence for the local boards which must
hAndle millions of questionnaires. Au-
tnmatically, the local boards look al
those On which claim for exemption
is entered and include in the eligible
list those who make no claim what
soeyer or those who waive all claims
~ deferred classifications. Later on
Of course, in a careful Denomination
~ omestionnaires, they may discover
evidence which shows them that q de-
ferred classification or exemption
ahotY4d be given. but in the absence OF
some indication from the individual Of
his attitude in. the matter: tho boards
have hitherto taken silence to mean
tacit consent