Washington, D.C.,
November 13th, 1917.

Governor of North Carolina,
Raleigh, N.C.

Number ten thousand two thirty. Reference your two hundred eight. The paragraph beginning at the bottom of page six Compiled Rulings number twelve make it clear that the re-opening of cases of men already inducted into military service saw merely a short method of allowing the Commanding Officer of a mobilization camp to obtain advice and information whereby he could decide whether a particular drafted man should be discharged under paragraph one hundred thirty nine army regulations. The decision of a local board after a man has been inducted into military service could never of its own force discharge a man from such service. The telegram of the Adjutant General of the army to which you refer therefore makes no change whatever in existing methods. We are, however, contemplating such a change since the continued re-opening of cases is interferring with the raising and training of our armies.

Crowder.