New-York tribune., 1917-07-20
Crowder Discovers Err.
ror at Last Minute;
Changes Plans
Blindfolded Men
To Pick Numbers
Secretary Baker Will
Start Selection at
$3.50 A. M.

drawing which will be held tomorrow
to fix the order OF military liability
for nearly 100000 registered men
throughout the country were material
ly changed late to-day, and the intri-
cate method Of double drawing worked
out by officials to lessen the physical
task was abandoned.
Instead of process requiring not
more than an hour and involving one
set of numbers from TO 1000 and
another from 0 TO 10, it will be neces-
sary to draw, one at a time, at least
1928 numbers. Probably, to make
certain that every registrant in the
largest district is placed, lO,500 draw
ings will be made. II will require at
least ten and half hours. and officials
in charge believe il will take twelve.
The process will begin at $3.50 q. m.
Crowder's Explanation
Following is Provost Marshal Gen
eral Crowder's explanation of the sud
der abandonment Of the double draw
ing plan, which it had taken weeks to
work out in detail and which was made
public only few hours before it was
discarded.
Provost Marshal General Crowder
made this statement:
"Advices received by long distance
telephone this afternoon indicate that
in certain areas the boards, in number
ing registration cards. have kept the
cards segregated by election districts
and that serial numbers nave been as
signed TO the whole group for board
while the cards we're thus segregated.
II the drawing is conducted as original
ly planned, in groups OF 1000, the re-
suit will be that considerable proper
tions of certain election districts will
be brought up for examination to-
gether.
This will result in drafting persons
from one locality within the jurisdic-
tion of board before any person is
drawn from another locality within the
same jurisdiction.
For this reason, it has been decided
TO abandon the drawing by thousands
and to draw 10000 numbers, which is in
excess Of the highest number OF cards
under the jurisdiction of any board.
"The only change in the plan will 5e
that there will be one drawing instead
OF two.
The advantage will be greater sim
plicity. The disadvantage will be that
the drawing will require ten hours to
complete"
Local Officials Not Blamed
Late tonight General Crowder is
sued q second statement explaining
that no blame should be attached to
local officials whose failure to shuttle
the cards in their jurisdiction caused
abandonment of the more elaborate
plan. He also pointed out that this
failure was not confined 10 New Jer-
sey, but was widespread. The state
ment follows:
"An alteration Of the mechanism Of
the drawing was rendered necessary
this afternoon by the fact that advices
received, first from New Jersey and af-
terward from other states, indicated
that in some districts the cards had
been serially numbered in blocks for
the different election districts within
exemption areas.
CLOSE inquiry as TO the methods
followed by these boards shows that
these methods cannot be said to be
inconsistent with the instructions they
had receiled. 1t was intended. how
ever. that numbers should be assigned
70 the cards in whole blocks for each
exemption area. and not in blocks for
election districts within the exemption
areas. Obviously the group system OF
drawing which had been adopted was
not applicable to cards numbered in
this way, and change TO a straight
serial number drawing was Immediately
ordered to meet the situation.
IF press reports are TO the effect
that the situation in New Jersey alone
was the sole or even the principal cause
of the change in the system of the
drawing. they are not justified. On
spicuous for its efficient cooperation
with the Federal government in all
stages of the execution Of the self
service law"
Stage Setting for Draft
The stage setting FOR the grea, lot
terry has not been changed II will
take place in the public hearing room
of the Senate Office Building. The in
vited guests who will sit with Secre-
tary Baker and watch the proceedings
will be members Of the Senate and
House Military committees.
The only other persons present, ae-
oording TO plans tonight. will be
limited number Of newspaper corre-
spondents, photogrs phers to take both
still views srd motion pictures o! he
historic event and the officials OF Gen
eral Crowder's Office who will conduct
the drawing.
In the drawing itself there will be
nine actors. The principals will be .
blindfolded man, who constantly stirs
the 10000 black capsules In the great
glass bowl; another blindfolded man.
who draws the capsules from the bowl.