WAR DEPARTMENT
OFFICE OF THE PROVOST MARSHAL GENERAL
WASHINGTON

February 16, 1918.

Honorable T. W. Bickett,
Governor of North Carolina,
Raleigh, N. Car.

My dear Governor Bickett:

I have your letter of the 14th instant concerning the reopening of cases by Local and District Boards.

Your understanding of the reopening of cases is, I fear, confused to some extent with the reopening under the old Regulations of the cases of men who have been actually inducted into service.

Under the present Regulations Local and District Boards have power, under Sections 120 and 121, S. S. R., to reopen a case and reclassify a registrant not only upon change of status but for any reason which appears satisfactory to the board. Under Section 99 they may extend time for filing claims and proof. Under Section 47 it is made the particular duty of Government Appeal Agents to suggest reopening of cases where the interests of justice may require.

While neither you nor the Adjutant General has power to compel either a District or a Local Board to reopen cases, either of you has power to request boards either directly or through the Government Appeal Agent to reopen and reconsider cases which in your opinion have not been decided under a proper interpretation and application of the classification rules and also in cases where certain important information was not in possession of the boards.

This, of course, does not apply to a case of a registrant who has not only been classified but has been actually inducted into military service.

Under such circumstances, the only authority for the reopening of cases is contained in Section 139, S. S. R.

I hope this will remove any doubt from your mind upon this subject. If not, I should be glad to advise you further.

E. H. CROWDER,
Provost Marshal General.

By J. S. Easby-Smith
Lieutenant Colonel, N. A.

JSE-S/mlp