The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1917-07-17
GREAT ARMY LOTTERY
IS EXPECTED ANY DAY
NUMBERS REPRESENTING MEN
WHO HAVE REGISTERED
WILL BE DRAWN.
EACH MAN WILL KNOW ORDER
in WHICH HE WILL BE CALLED
Red Serial Numbers Given Out by
Registration Boards to Be Used.
Drawing VIII Take Place Within
The Next Week, Is Statement.

Formal order by President Wilson
drafting 687,00O men into the mill
tary service under the selective con-
scription law was promulgated Friday
by the war department., together with
an official allotment showing what
part of the total must be furnished
by each state and territory.
The only steps now remaining are
distribution by the governors of state
quotas among the local exemption
districts, and the great lottery, which
probably will be held this week, to
establish the order in which regis
trants are to present themselves for
service or exemption.
Total Force to Be 1881, 1886.
The men summoned for service will
be used to fill the regular army and
national guard to war strength and
to organize the first 100000 of the
new national army. The total of
these three forces will be 1,262,9S5
men. Later another 100000 will be
called out supplemented by sufficient
men to make up losses and maintain
reserve battalions. Georgia's quota
is 1887 men.
Drawing for the selective draft not
only will determine what men are to
be called to the colors in the first
war army, but will show in what or
der the others registered will be LA
bic for service when later armies are
organized.
1t was revealed tonight that a plan
of drawing will be followed under
which definite place in the waiting
lists will be given every one of the
millions who registered. Those stand
ing at the head of the list in each
county or city district will be called
first before the examination boards
and then the obligation will pass on
down the line as long as men are
needed.
This does not mean that a separate
name or number will be drawn for
every one of the country's 9,SOO,OOO.
Registrars. In fact, every number
/ drawn, under the theory of the plan,
will represent more than four thou
sand men, one for each of the regis
tration districts Details of the svs-
tenn have not been made public. but
an outline of its principal features
follows:
Number Applies to All Districts.
Every registration board has num-
oered the cards in its possession in
red ink, beginning at number one and
continuing to a number correspond
ing with the total in the district.
At the drawing numbers will be
used ranging from one up to a num-
Der corresponding to the total in the
largest district of the country.
The first number drawn will deter
mine what man in each district is to
be taken first If it be number ten.
for example, it will mean that the
man in each district holding card
number ten viii be called for exam
lnation before any of the other men
in that district.
| The second number drawn will de-
termine what man in each district is
to be taken second, and so on as long
as men are needed. Those not need
ed for the first war army will retain
their positions on the list and these
positions will determine the order of
their liability when they are needed.
The drawing will be public, and
each number will be announced as it
! it is drawn.
Drawing During Week of July %.
The drawing will probably be held
some time during the week of July
20, according to present indications.
Officials are unwilling to disclose
the details of the drawing itself. but
the suggestion which seems to have
the most support is that the numbers
stamped on thin slips of paper be
enclosed IN nOn-transparent gelatin
capsules and placed in a large glass
| vessel to be removed one at a time
/ by the official designated to do that
I work
There are 1850 exemption dis
triets. When the first number Is
drawn-say number tent viii be
recorded as number /, with the serial
number (10) following. The record
will show that the men whose cards
bear the serial number 10 in each
OF 1850 exemption districts would
be first to appear before the exemp-
ton boards. Presumably the an
nouncement made at the drawing
would be number /, serial number
! 10.
Exemptions Not Permanent.
1t is assumed that when the draw
ing is complete the government win
compute how many men are renre-
sented by number 1, in the drawing
and by the numbers immediately
succeeding, and then issue an order
for enough to report to make the
total desired for the first army.
The law specifies that exemptions
are not permanent unless the cause
for which they are granted Is per-
manent. For instance, IL i man
should be exempted on the first eall
because of dependent relative ana
that relative should die or become
self-supporting before the second can
the registrant would be liable for
service.