Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-01-03
WHAT EXEMPTION BOARD HAS DONE
DURING EIGHTEEN MONTHS SERVICE

Sealing its records and practically
winding up It's work, except for unim-
portant odds and ends that will come
in later. the local exemption board Dec.
81 completed eighteen months OF what
generally will be agreed has been prob
ably the most important war work done
by any Of the numerous war activities
bodies in the county. It's Importance
was not only that II supplied a large
part of the men who went from Mar
shall county into the army, but In
addition IL had under Its control the
entire man power OF the county OF
military age. Thru these thousands
its work touched and affected ma
jority OF the Marshall county families
The merest summary Of its work
shows its scope and Importance. In
Guided In this is that 1t indicted s69
men into the service and 1t had under
It's jurisdiction total of 6.192 regis
trants ranging in ages from Is TO ~
years inclusive,
Many Sent to Service.
Included in the $50 were men for
both general and limited service. OF
this number forty four were after
wards discharged at cantonments by
army surgeons for physical disabilities.
From September 1917, to and including
November 1918. the board in Quoted men
nearly every month. The first con-
tingent was sent away Sept. 5, 1918
1t numbered eleven men and they went
to Camp Dodge. The last county con-
tingent to be indicted was one OF nine
men sent to the training school at Iowa
State College. Ames, for mechanical
training Nov. 4, 1918, just week be-
fore the arTnistice was signed.
OF the 6,792 men registered in the
county, who as soon as they were
registered were under the control Of
the board. they Were divided by dates
of registration and ages as follows:
June 5, 1917 Gel to 31) S4S
June 8, CID and Aug. "a, 1917
N-A' '''''''..- ...''..'.'...'.. go
Sept. IL, 1918 CS 10 45) ........3,696
OF the total registered, 1853 were
placed in Class 1 and the work CT
classification was practically COM
pleted Sept. IL. 1918. The examining
physicians examined a total OF 1.4.2
Marshall county registrants and $50
others who were transferred here for
examination.
Organized July 8.
The summary OF the statistics Of the
work of the board show in a measure
the wide scope and large scale of it's
work. but they do not tell the story of
the almost immeasurable details OF
the business connected with gathering
these men together. classifying and
examining them and listening to ap-
peals and passing on them.
The federal order. issued by Provost
Marshal General Crowder creating
county local exemption boards and
specifying that the board should con-
sist of the sheriff and county auditor
and a physician member, the latter to
be appointed by the governor. was
issued late in June. 1917.
The local board consisting Of Sheriff
]. G. Edgar. County Auditor W. E.
McLeland and DR.. George NJ Johnson,
their commissions about July
l. The first meeting Of the board WAS
held July and it organized by naming
Sheriff Edgar chairman and County
McLeland clerk.
Starts Work at Once.
The first registration Of June 5,
1917, had Of course, already been COM
pleted and the cards were in the Office
Of County Auditor McLeland. Not
much Of any work could be done, how
ever. in preparing for the draft calls
that came late until the first drawing
OF the master numbers, that were t.
fix the order Of liability Of registrants
for service, held at Washington July
20, 1917.
In the meantime lists % the regist-
rants Of June s. 1917, were to be pre-
pared and the board employed Clyde
w. Morse as its clerk In the early
days Of the work Miss Ella Smith, a
clerk in the auditors office, also did
much Of the clerical work.
However. before the board had real
~ began its work, DR.. Johnson was
commissioned a captain in the medi-
cal corps, which forced him to resign
from the exemption board, July Il,
1917. His place was taken on the
board by the appointment of DR.. w.
S. Devine, July p, by Governor Hard
ing.
examinations ana Appeals.
With the BOARD again fully organ
.zed, its work began to gain speed and
volume. The first physical examina-
tions were held in the east court room
Aug. 81 and s, 1917. Regulations is
sued provided for the appointment of
a board Of examining physicians to
assist the physician member of the
exemption board and the appointees
We're Drs. N. U. Chesire. r. R. Han
sen and Edwin Cobb. They and DR..
Divine examined all the 1882, calling
to their assistance at times other ply
sicians. Later in the draft medical re-
ferees, as they were first called and
later the medical advisory board, were
appointed. These boards passed on ex-