The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1919-01-23
SOLDIERS TO MEET
CIVILIAN DUTIES
Local Police Asked to Aid in
Big Movement to Line Up
Men Who Forgot Wives
and Children
NO ESCAPE UNDER LAWS
Men Whom the Government Forced to
Support Wives and Children Must
Continue This Support When They
are Mustered Out of Service.

States Government had made an APP
lpeal to the Police Department of Keno
sha for aid in investigating the status
of dependents of Kenosha county sol
diers. Many men who enlisted in the
army made claims for exemption from
the support of wives, minor children
and others of kin and with the possible
discharge Of these men from service
the government is making an investi-
cation into the facts surrounding ev-
cry case in question. For the most
part the claims Of these men for ex-
emption from turning over part Of
their pay to people who are regarded as
properly dependent on them has not
been allowed and support of wives and
children has been granted by the gov
eminent regardless Of the conditions
claimed by the men unless these con
ditions were most firmly supported by
affidavits of local people showing that
the mea should he relieved from bur-
den Of support. An examination of
the Kenosha records would indicate
that a hundred men have been under
scrutiny of the war department off,
Gals on account Of claims for exemp-
ton from such Payments. In some
cases these men have claimed desertion
on the part Of the wife, they have as
serted that divorce actions are pend
ing and that wives and children have
left them to go back to the old home
of the mother. None of these claims
have been considered as sufficient by
the government and most Of the wives
and children of such men have been re-
cieving portion of their pay as sol
diers, sent to them directly by the
government.
Just at present the government Off
Gals are especially interested in CO.
operating with the local police officers
n determining the attitude that is to
be assumed toward these men when
they leave the service of the army.
The lisf Of men who have claimed ex-
emption from the supporting of wives
and minor children will be turned over
to the police department. Many Of
these wives and children have had par
tial support from these men while they
were in army service and the records
of the army are expected to furnish
the police with information which may
be used to force these men to continue
his support when they return to civil
ian life
In many cases where non-support has
ceen alleged by women of KenoshaS it
has beer stated that the husbands have
gone into the army. In some of these
cases the men had been missing from
| Kenosha for years before they went
into tbs army and their wives and
children had a happy surprise when
they Received the support decreed to
them under the army regulations. The
records of the government are the
sworn statements of the men in oues-
ton ana they Will furnish proof posi-
| tive of the relations which exist be-
tween them and the members of their
| families or others who were dependent
on them
Chief O'Hare has asked the Judge
Advocate of the Army, Major Roscoe
Stewart to cooperate with him in ev-
cry possible manner that these men
when they are released from the army
may be called upon to do their full
duty toward wives and children de-
pendent upon them.
The local exemption boards have
been directed by the Judge Advocate
70 cooperate with the police in this
work AS these men return to civilian
| life they will be expected to return to
the homes of the wives and children
and to provide for the support of their
families by civilian labor The first
of series of Investigations along these
lines arc now being carried forward bv
the Chief of Police and members of the
police department. If possible these
investigations will all be completed be-
fore the men are mustered out Of army
service
Yrzl