Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 282, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 December 1917 — Questioneire Goes Out To All Draftees [ARTICLE]

Questioneire Goes Out To All Draftees

Indianapolis, Dec. 13.—Jesse E. Eschbach, state national army conscription agent, has received a telegram from Major General E. H. Crowder, provost marshal general, at Washington, which says that questionaires must be sent all men of draft age not in the actual military or naval service of the United States. This includes the 35 per cent of the first Indiana quota of drafted men called to the colors who are still held at the home stations.

In order to bridge over the situation of the 35 per cent the state conscription agent is instructed not only to send questionaires to the men of this 35 per cent, but that they shall hold themselves in readiness to go to mobilization camps at the call of the provost marshal general. The situation created is that the men of the 35 per cent will hold themselves in readiness until the state of Indiana, under the new questionaires system of selecting men by classes for the draft call, has chosen enough class 1 men to equal the 35 per cent quota, according to Mr. Eschbach. Then, if the men of the present 35 per cent quota have not been called to the colors, their responsibility under the original call to the colors will have passed, and the men held under the new regulations as being of class 1, and, therefore, amenable to call at once, will take their places. ) To the registrars only. j Mr. Eschbach also has received a telegram to the effect that members of the new legal advisory boards have no power to give legal opinions on questions relating to the draft to exemption boards, their duties being merely to give assistance td registrants in filling out the questionaires and in preparing necessary affidavits. Another telegram was received by Mr. Eschbach, in which the president instructs that the induction into the military service of postal v employes of draft age, who will be called be-' ! tween now and January 1, shall be deferred until after January 1. Apparently this is a movement io relieve the Christmas mail congestion.