William O. Douglas

“ More precisely does the power 'to hear and determine' include the right of a registrant personally to appear? Does it include the right of a registrant to appear through an attorney or with an attorney? Is the question to be resolved 'under the rules and regulations prescribed by the President' or is the Act to be read as including constitutional requirements of counsel? In my view the power 'to hear and determine,' granted by the Act, may indeed be more intertwined with the regulations than was the Act in the Mersky case. ”

“ Mr. Justice DOUGLAS, dissenting.
I believe that the appeal is properly here and I believe that United States v. Mersky, 361 U.S. 431, 80 S.Ct. 459, 4 L.Ed.2d 423, is a precedent that sustains my view and may not properly be distinguished as the Court undertakes to do. ”

“ No person other than a registrant shall have the right to appear in person before the local board, but the local board may, in its discretion, permit any person to appear before it with or on behalf of a registrant: Provided, That if the registrant does not speak English adequately he may appear with a person to act as interpreter for him: And provided further, That no registrant may be represented before the local board by anyone acting as attorney or legal counsel.' 13 Fed.Reg. ”