The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1917-10-25
CHANGES DRAFT SYSTEM
REMAINING REGISTRANTS PEAC.
EDIN FIVE CLASSES.
New Plan Does Away With Ali Com.
plicated Machinery of the
First Draft.

Washington, Oct. PEA sweeping
change in the machinery OF the Sc
lective draft based on division of the
100000 remaining regiStrantS into
five classes in order OF their elisibil-
ity for military service was announc-
ed today by Provost Marshal Gen.
Crowder. Details Of the plan, which
had been approved BY President Will
son are not disclosed 1t is calculated
however, to do away with virtually
all the complicated machinery of the
first draft and to make the opera
tions of the local boards hereafter
little more than rubber stamp pro-
ceedings.
The plan was worked out at con-
ferences with local and district board
officials and approved by the various
State authorities. It's chief features
are that every registered man will
know his exact position and be able
to arrange his affairs accordingly, and
that no man ned necessary in any
important industry or needed at home
to support his family will be called
to the colors unless the military stu
alton is desperate.
Working Out "Details.
Detailed plans to govern the new
system are being made ready for dis
tribution to local and district board
members. Gen. Crowder in formal
statement assured them that they
would be given ample opportunity to
familiarize themselves with these reg
ulations before the machinery pro-
vided is called into use. AS the next
call to the colors is to be made under
the new plan, this assurance is taken
to- indicate that the second call is not
to be expected before the first of the
year.
The success of the plan depends
upon the completeness of the ques-
>tionaire. The questions to be answer
ed by the registered men have been
worked out with infinite care from
the vast fund of information CLEANED
from the first use Of the draft ma
chinery
Attorney to Assist.
Included in the plans of the gov
ernment. it is understood. is pro-
vision which will place the services
of trained attorney at the disposal
of every registrant to assist him in
making his answers.
The new plan, Gen. Crowder points
out. settles the veXing questions OF
continuing the physical examination
in registrants until all have been
classified in this way.
Presumably it will be necessary to
examine men under the new plan
only when called up, or if greater
speed can be secured in that way, to
examine and classify physically all
members of the class that is under
call.
A point not made clear in Gen.
Crowder's statement is how the rota-
ton numbers of the drawing to fix
the order of military liability are to
be applied. 1t seems, however, that
the rotation numbers of the men in
any class will govern the order in
which they come up. In that case
each class group would have its own
order liability list, based on the mas
ter list.
Without Dependents.
. The result of Ithe new plan un-
doubtedly will be to place in the first
class men who are without depend
ents. whose civil occupation is not
vitality important to the nation
work at home and who are physically
best able to endure the hardshlps or
war. This will bring forward ma
joritv of the single MEN Of the entire
registration.
Presumably married men who have
independent incomes also would be
placed in the first class, where the
support of the dependents IN their
absence was assured.
The new plan will afford, also, a
better opportunity Of consedVlns
skilled labor. Where men needed IN
the various war industries are other
wise eligible for front line service
means are provided for holding then
back from the army under definite
centralized plan.
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