Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-09-16
WHOLE LIFE Barred
FOREXEMPT CLAIM
Even Most Intimate Secrets Must
be Revealed; Also, Finan-
cial Status.

Washington, Sept. 16.-Distribution
of draft auestionnares to close to A.
00O, 600 men, which will begin this week IN
many States, will reveal to the new
registrants the fact that they arc re-
qlired to set down IN government records
their most intimate personal affairs,
financial, domestic and physical.
A man who claims exemption must
tell everything about himself from the
color of his eyes to the amount of money
he made last year, and how he spent 1T;
what he owns and how much he owes;
whether 'he owns or rents his own home
or lives with his or his wife's parents;
the date of his marriage and birth OF
child, and the date their dependency
upon him began. These arc just few;
there are many others.
General Crowder realizes that many
men would have hesitancy IN setting
down in writing many of these intimate
personal facts, If the record Of them
were to be public property. Facts con-
nected with the classification of men by
the boards are public records, but Gen
eral Crowder has issued regulations
prohibiting local draft boards from dis
closing for public inspection the answers
of registrants on health and dependency
subjects.
WILL PREVENT INJUSTICE.
The regulations were issued IN re-
Sponse to inquiries TO draft boards, and
were issued by General Crowder in rec
ognition of the fact that IAN injustice
might be worked to individuals il all
the information elected should be made
public" The regulations follow:
"All records required by these rules
md regulations 10 be filed with and
kept bv local and district boards. adju-
tnnts general and other persons IN con
ncctiOn with registration, examination,
selection and mobilization OF registrants
under tho selcctive service law shall be
public records and shall be open during
regular business hours for public inspec-
ton of any and all persons.
Provided. however. that the answers
Of any rcgistrsnt concerning the condi
ton Of his health, mental or physical, IN
csponse 10 Series II Of tho questions
rndcr the head entitled Physical Pit
ness in the QUESTIONABLE. and other
evidence and records upon the Same
subject. and the answers Of any regis
trant to the questions under Series
of the questions under the head entitled
Dependency, in the questlonnalre, except
the names and addresses OF the persons
claimed 10 be dependent upon such
rcgistrant, shall not without the consent
of the rcgiStrant, he open 20 inspection
IN any pcrson other than members 0f
local and district boards examining
PHYSICIANS members % medical advisory
boards Government appeal agents. and
other persons connect cd with the admin
stration &c the sclcctIvc service law and
these rules and regulations and United
States Attorneys and their assistants
and officials Of such bureaus Of depart
mcnts nf the United States Govern
mcnt rs NAV he designated hy the Sec
rotary of War
PENALTY rs PROVIDE u.
"Anv person connected with tho adj
ministration of the sclcctIve scrS1cc law
ard these rules and regulations who
shall div7ilgc or impart 20 any person
not entitled under the foregoing para
graph 10 receive the same. information
contained in record rs To "A rcgist rant $
phySIcal cordiiIon or aS TO ms answers
concerning dependency as above pro
vidcd. shall bc guilty OF misdcmcanor.
and tIpon convection thereof shall be
punished BY imprisonment not to exceed
one wear
The nortion~ Of such records rs arc
! hcrUnbcfore held II IT, confidential shall
not. without the consent of the rrgls-
trant. he produced and published ID re-
/ sponse to anv subpoena or summons of
! any court, except that they may be 50
| produced and published for the purpose
| OF being used IN the prosecution Of the
/ registrant or Of any person acting III
| coIllIsion with such reGistrant, whether
| for periury or for any other violation
| OF the provisions of the sclcctive service
! law or of these rules and regulations
"Whencvcr any rcglstrant or other
person accept on Of the classes Of per
sons named in the proWso of foregoing
/ Section II Of these rules and regulations
applies 10 local or district board to in
spect any OF the records such boards,
such registrant or other person shall not
be permitted TO search through such
records but it shall be the duty of member
or clerks of local and district boards
and other persons having the custody
OF such records to discover open and
point out 10 the registrant or other person
the portion Of the record containing the
information requested by such persons
20 applying, subj ect to the limitations us
to disclosures provided il the foregoing
Section IL