New-York tribune., 1918-03-02
1t Issued Circular to Help
Men Present Claims
for Discharge
Pacihsrn Is Charged
Author Of Leaaet Says She
Is Not Interested in Rails
ing an Army

The attention of the local Office of
the adiutant general, it was learned
yesterday, has been called to the unof-
fetal participation N the second draft
Of the Ne" York Bureau Of Legsjl First
Aid, of - Fifta avenue, which ii is
charged, is an organization with pac-
fist affiliations. A survey OF the draft
activities Of the bureau is likely to be
started to ascertain whether it has
acted strictly within the sphere Of lc-
gitimate aid to registrants
a Ieaflei describing the work the
bureau has done since December 5 last
in helping men Of draft age TO present
claims of exemption is the target at
which the critics of the bureau aim.
Critics Of the leafet objected more
tc the atmosphere and spirit of the
letter than to any specific statement
Miss +. N. Withersroon. author of tho
sketch, last night admitted that her ar
t1cie implied = criticism OF the legal
advisory boards which were appointed
under the direction Of President Viii
son 20 assist registrants in question:
boards were to decide whether the IN
Gividual was eligible Miss Withcr-
spoon said that the tendency of the
members Of the legal advisory boards;
was to try to get all rcgistrants for
the army.
Contents of Lcanet
The contents Of the lcaAot in part
follow:
"'Who will take care of my wife and
little children if they take me away p"
"'I like America. Id like to be a
citizen here, but l have two brothers
fighting for Austria, Please get me an
exemption. Iou see, | cannot kill my
own brOthers.''
"These are things that are said many
times each day in the Bureau of Legal
First Aid. Similar things are also said
over and over at the exemption boards.
Perhaps the lawyers who since the
second draft, December IS, have lis
tened patiently SO many hours day at
the boards. have felt it their duty to
think constantly of the National Army
and to steel their hearts against the
human tragedies.
"Perhaps indeed, we have often
found this to be the hey have
been too busy to acquaint themselves
properly with the regulations devised
for the draft. exceedingly complicated
and subject to the frequent revsions
at Washington. Certain it is that the
assistance received at the boards has
been, in the majority of cases, routine
and perfunctory
"The aid given in our office differs in
two particulars. First, we seek to ad-
wise drafted men in advance how rights
may be safeguarded. Second remem-
bering we are dealing with unframed
minds, we exert all our resources to
assemble proof of claims in manner
no less accurate than convincing. Ad-
vice and individual aid have been given
to upward of 4 900 people in connection
with the claims for which far-seeing
government has itself made provision" !"
Author Justifes Article
In justifying the tone of the article
Miss WitherspOon said that the theory
and the practice of the selective SER
vice system did not jibe, and the igno-
rant registrant with a good claim for
mitted that the bureau was interested
in getting exemptions and not in rails
ing an army.
The executive committee of the or
ganization, whose names were attached
to the lcahet, are j ohm l.. Elliott chair
man; f. NJ. Witherspoon, secretary;
Jesse Ashley, Roger n. Baldwin, Anna
Z. Brenner, Adema II. Burd, Mrs
Frank Fl. Cothren, the Rev John W.
Darr, Fola La Follette Martha Gruen-
ing. Jacob Hillquit Arthur S. Levy,
Tracy G. Mygatt, DR.. Henry Neumann,
Charles Recht and Frederick II. Robin
son. The New York Bureau of Legal
First Aid is the. local branch of the
Civil T,ihortinc Ruroou