The Columbus commercial. (Columbus, Miss.) 1893-1922, 1917-07-15
q oooooo ooSc

Washington, July 14.--Every mar
of the 100000 or more in the
United States who registered is tc
be drafted. The drawing which is
to be made next week, probably on
Wednesday, will determine merely
who is to be called first.
The first numbers drawn will be
the men first ordered to the colors.
There will be a million of them. If
out of that million the War Depart
ment finds, when physical and indus
trial exemptions are made, that there
are not enough left to form nation
al army of 100000 and fiji the ranks
of the regular army and national
guard to war strength, additional
men will be called out until this is
done.
This plan was made public by Sec.
retary Baker Thursday in d long in
terview with newspaper correspon.
dents. The secretary said that he
himself probably would draw the
numbers.
Selection of the million men who
will be called out first will take but
few minutes. The numbers drawn
will be key numbers which will ap-
ply to each district in the state for
which the draft is being made. The
states will be taken in alphabetical
order. Each will have a set quota
to supply for the first million. If
there are so districts IN the state and
200 registrants in each district-and
comparison of the district lists has
shown that they average around the
same figure-each key number
drawn will mean that so men have
been drafted. 1t will take but a sec
ond to draw each key number.
The fact that every man is to be
drafted does not mean that he will
have to serve. He may never be
called to the colors. But his name
will be on the list. no matter how
far down, and he will be subject to
call if needed,
Government officials hit upon
this plan as the simplest and most
effective. It does away with the
necessity for separate draft foi
each new increment, as conditions
prove it necessary,
There will be but one draft for the
entire war unless conditions SO de-
velop that the demands for man-pow-
er are such that the entire 9,500,000
are used up and new call to take
in men of ages other than between
q and 81 is found necessary.
1t also does away with the neces-
sity for draft for a few hundred
thousand men in case it is found that
more than the first million men are
needed to form an army Of 100000
and fill the ranks Of the two forces
now in existence after exemptions
have been made. Instead of draw
ing men until the required number
Is reached, men will merely be order
ed out in the order their names stand
in the lists.
The chances of the individual are
IA to one that he will not be sent
to the trenches, officials estimated
In the first place, on the basis Of
100000 men, it is 10 to one that
John Smith or w. X. Citizen will not
be among the first million.
Then, after he is called, should he
be called, it il four to one shot he
will not fill the requirements. Of
ficials are going on the theory that
only about one man out of four will
meet the physical requirements for
active service and at the same time
not be exempt because Of national
industrial or family reasons.
Out of the entire 9,500,00 regis
tered it is estimated that field army
of only about 2,500,00O at the out
side will be secured. There is no
present intention of raising an army