The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1917-10-31

with their cases. olulllaTly, Lue uA'
married man of complete eligibility,
though his name appears fairly well
down the list, is in fact only as many
notches removed from the top as the
number Of equally eligible men that
are listed above him. The reclasslfl-
cation plan, to this extent, is merely
scheme to dispose, once for all, OF
lot of preliminary work that otherwise
would cucumber the successive drafts.
In placing the registered men in their
new cassifcations, attention will be
paid to the lottery feature of the first
general drawing, and each man Of
| each classification will stand in rela-
ton to his neighbor of the same classi-
lfication approximately where he stood
before.
Such, at least, is the intent OF the
regulations drawn up under the di-
rections Of Provost Marshal General
Crowder for submission to the presi-
dent. The presidents approval, which
has already been given to the princi-
pie of the plan, is taken for granted.
The plan decided upon involves the
obtaining of information from each
lregistrant covering the various fac
tors that enter into exemptions. All
those who have no economic depend
ents, who are not skilled laborers in
essential industry and who are other
wise fit will comprise the first class.
This class, again, will be subdivided
into six divisions; the first being the
single man without dependents, the
second the married man who fails to
support his family, the third the mar.
ried man dependent on his wife for
support. the fourth the married man
or WidOwer with children who is not
usefully engaged and whose income
affords ample support, the fifth men
not included among those described
under any of the five major classifi'
cations, and tho sixth unskilled labor
ers. All men out of the whole 10000
900 who fit into either Of these grooves
will form the first classification under
the new plan, and will be first in liza
bility to service.
The second major classification will
include married men whose families
can get along comfortably without
them, skilled industrial laborers and
skilled farm laborers. These men will
be second in liability to the call, but
none of them will be called until all
| in the first classification have been ex.
hausted. The third class includes men
with various kinds Of dependents GER
tain officers and federal employees, ex-
Il erts along technical, administrative
or agricultural lines and managers
of essential business. The fourth
class will include each married man
with a wife or wife and children
wholly dependent upon him, mariners,
and heads of certain industrial and
Agricultural enterprises. The last
class will be made up Of state and fed
eral officers, preachers, divinity stu
dents, aliens, licensed pilots, and per
sons physically, mentally or morally
unfit. The thing of first interest in
connection with this list is that the
married man with genuinely depend
lent wife or children will be in the
fourth or next to the last classification.
That makes clear the continued inten-
ton OF the government not to call such
men except as q last resort. Practi.
cally speaking, it means they will not
be called. .-,,
The advantage of knowing definitely
how he stands with relation to the
llraft liability will accrue to every man
Obviously the war depart
ment has been working to that end
from the beginning. Some time ago
suggestion that all registered men un-
dergo the military physical examina'
|tion was made to the several COVER
nors and generally approved. Later
the idea appeared to have been aban-
doned. 1t is not now clear, however,
how the physically unfit are to be cata-
llogued in classification No. unless
the general examination is ordered.
Possibly only those who claim physi-
cal untitness will be put to the test
| in advance Though prematurely an
nounced, as the war department
states, the plan for Redistribution ap'
pears to have been we'll worked out,
and to be fair in every respect. That
| it will add smoothness to operation OF
the draft machinery, once it is put into
effect, goes without saying. Also 1t
will relieve local exemption boards OF
much of their responsibility and elm
mate charges, warranted or unwar-
ranted, of partially due to local in
fuences.