Evening star., 1941-04-08
Jackson Maps
War 0bjector
Appeal Setup
Prettymon Named
To Handle Cases
In District

Machinery for taking care of ap-
peals of those persons seeking defer
ment from selective service on the
grounds that they are conscientious
objectors was set up today by At
torney General Jackson.
Mr.. Jackson said that hearing off,
GERS would be named in each Fed
eral judicial circuit to handle these
cases, and announced the appoint
ment of E. Barrett Prettyman, for
mer corporation counsel and PROM
inent member of the bar, to serve
in the District of Columbia
THE hearing officer must satisfy
himself that the objections of the
registrant are based upon a personal
religious or ethical conviction, and
not upon political doctrine" the
Attorney General cautioned.
Concurrently with the announce
ment from the Justice Department,
Senator Wheeler. Democrat. of Mon
tana, asserted that there appeared
to have been invasion and viola
tions" of civil liberties in several
cases growing out of selectiye service.
Procedure Outlined.
Mr.. Jackson said that the pro-
cedure would be as follows:
Appeals boards have been re-
quested to transmit all cases OF
conscientious objectors to the United
States attorney in their respective
districts. If it appears to the United
States attorney that the case is one
in which the Justice Department has
jurisdiction, he will transmit the
entire file for inquiry to the nearest
field Office of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation in the district.
After the F. B. I. inquiry the
United States attorney will send the
entire record to the hearing officer.
If he is satisfied the investigation
is sufficient. he will fix the hearing
date and place and notify the ob-
lector, advising him of the instruc-
tlonS to be followed in pressing the
appeal.
The purpose of the hearing" Mr..
Jackson said is to obtain informa-
ton that would aid in determining
the character and good faith of the
objections of the person who claims
exemption from combatant or non-
combatant service"
Directors of Two Types.
Mr.. Jackson explained that the
hearing officer should bear in mind
that conscientious objectors may be
divided into two types-"those whose
conscientious objections are based
upon the tenets of a particular
church or religious organization and
those whose conscientious objec-
tons are based upon their own
scruples but who do not rely upon
adherence to particular religious
doctrine or membership in any
church, sect, or religious organiza-
/ ton as basis thereof"
After this hearing, the hearing
officer may order further examina-
ton If he deems necessary. or can
make recommendation for disposing
Of the case to the Justice Depart
ment
/ An effort is being made in select
/ ing officers to get only men recog-
| nized in their communities for pa
tience, tolerance and well-balanced
judgment" the Attorney General
! said.
Senator Wheeler made his COM
| plant in letter to Attorney Cen
eral Jackson.
Mr. Wheeler. who opposed enact
men of the draft law, wrote Mr..
Jackson that he had come to the
conclusion that yom preoccupation
with other important duties has
allowed these apridgements of civil
and legal liberties to escape your
attention"
New York Case Cited.
The Montana Senator cited the
case of New York selectee. who
was forcibly carried to an Army
truck and taken to camp.
Senator Wheeler said he knew
nothing of the details of the case
except that it was reported that the
man was member of a religious
sect having conscientious scruples
against service in the Army.
1T may be that this specific case
does not fall under these provisions"
he wrote. But. to me, it is shock
ing to see news pictures which show
a man crying while his captors, with
broad grins on thelr faces, bodily
carry him away. The wide dissem-
ination OF pictures of this incident is
not likely to build up a respect for
law and order and civil liberties in
our country.
This is not the way democracy
governed by laws does business. This
is what we have come to expect in
Nazi Germany, and we can rest as
sured that Hitler will make the
widest use of this propaganda to gibe
at our boasted freedom and rights"