Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-11-19
MUST REARRANGE
DRAFT MACHINERY
Revised Sclective Service Rcgula-
tons Call for Many Changes
in System.
OFFICIALS FACE BIG TASK
Work of Putting Virginia Boards
Into Shape viii Begin
at Once.
OFFICIALS FACE BIG TASK

Under the revised draft system. just
announced by the Office Of the Provost
Marshal General at Washington tho
entire draft machinery Of Virginia. as
we'll as that of every state in the
Union. must undergo complete over
hauling TO say that the task before
officials in charge Of enforcing the Sc
lcciivc service regulations is "a bi: one
Is putting 1t lightly. according TO in
formed sources
Copies OF the new regulations were
received yesterday by the Office ot Ad-
jutant-Ceneral ". w. sale, and he will
a, once. under the direction OF Cover
nor stuart. begin the work Of arranE
ing TO take care OF the new order Of
things. which will be radically differ
ont from those in operation during the
nrst call.
ON and after December Is. 40 OK
cmption or discharge from the draft,
granted during tho first call. viii be
valid. The new regulations invalidatc
them. This means that mon called in
the first draft and rejected or exempt
Cd from military duty are subject TO
call in tho ensuing drafts. In other
words. all registered men. not now In
military service. viii lac rcciassifcd.
and will be ordered 20 report 10 their
local boards according u their position
in tho master list OF numbers as
originally drawn.
All kppEhLS WILL. BI
tJTONArICALI.N DNOi'pi,D
The new regulations carry ont in
:ull tho actual intcnts OF the sclcc!ivc
service act. Tho regulations existing
Gcncy nature. Under the rcorganized
system. mon disqualified for general
military service may hc available for
spc ial or limited military service or
for any phase OF war work demanded
by the government.
Ncn who have hccn drafted and have
appeals from the decisions of local
boarus pending Viii have their eases
automatically thrown on the boards
by u ruling Of tic provoSt-marshai-
general which w..s announced y"stcr-
Jay. Thcsr mon will return 10 their
ori1inal status. or to thr position ;hcy
occupied before being summoned by
the local hoard. These. with All otrcr
rcEistrrcd men not i'm uniform. viii
hc scnt uIcstionu;,ircs. IT til" mar
wro4" case was pending or appeal
c,lc that he lac granted deferred class
iGv:tiun. and l." viii lie 50 classricd
by the board should TIA" board dc.
eide, however. that hc belongs in class
l. subject TO Immediate call. lie will
be 50 notified ard lac VIII hayc ;hc
right az appealing To tic district board
Tor such deferred classiiics tion.
Registered men who viii receive
i'm, .i-,g l.n
da.s in which TO reply to Tho many
queries ana TO return tho booklets to
the local boards. The hook,c,. to which
nearly 10000, 900 must respond. under
penalty ct committing a misdcmcanor.
is All imposing document. and will
produce in each case Il complete his
tory CT the resis:rant and a full ac-
count of his ability or skill in all
professions and trades.
The new rule whereby the Secretary
OF War is authorized TO draft into i'm
mediate service for special duty any
man believed from the record to be
qualified for such duty, no matter what
his classification or his order number
may be- Is couchcd in the widest terms
AS announced by the provost -morshal-
general. II Is AS follows:
The deferred classification OF cS-
pcrts and men highly skilled in indus
try or agriculture is intended to pre-
vent the waste incident TO induction
into military service Of men whose
special qualifications render them more
valuable to the national interest ia
some other capacity.
There are. however. circumstances
in which the need OF the military es-
tablishmcnt for men expert or highly
skilled is such that the national in
tcrcst is better served by Inducing
such men into military service than by
leaving them engaged in industry or
agriculture. In such circumstances.
neither deferred classification on the
ground Of engagement in industry or
agriculture nor the order numbers
heretofore assigned by lot can be per-
mittcd to defer the call OF such men
into military service"
ALI. PREVIOUS EXEMPTIONS
ARE NOW CANCELLED
The provost marshal general made
clear yesterday that because the new
regulations provide that men not COM
plctcly crippled may be held subject
for special army service and will not
be exempted. this does not mean that
the army proposes to fill up it's ranks
behind the lines and on routes Of com
munication with scmidisqualiied men,
such men will be put practically in a
special class. and can be called only
under a special and specific summons
for men disqualified for general mill
,ary service, but qualified for special
service.
This ruling applies TO thousands of
men suffering from fiat feet. and SINH
lar minor deformities which would dis
qualify them from field service but
which would not interfere with them
operating army mbtor cars and other
such work. or on line of communication
duty. 1t also applies to men fsnder-
weight beyond the possible entrance
allowances or whose state Of health.
as verified by physicians, would render
them unavailable for service in hard
weather.
Under the previous system thousands
Of exemptions were granted on these
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