The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1917-07-11
ARMY SELECTION DAY
IN THE NEAR FUTURE
Process of Choosing Men to Fight
Battles of Freedom Will Soon
Begin.

" oohhaS 1oA, ooiy ScieStioii
day for the new National army is
approaching rapidly as the local em
emption boards in the various States
complete their organization, give Sc
rial numbers to the registration
cards and forward certified copies to
Provost Marshal Gen. Crcwder. In
dications are that the drawing will
be held next week, but no official
statement has been made as to the
war departments plans.
Administration officials are main
tanning strict silence as to the me-
thod to be followed. With the re-
cent statement by Secretary Baker
that the drawing would he held in
Washington, however, coupled with
the stress laid upon the serial num-
bering of registration cards. thetgen-
eral outline of the. plan IS clearly in
d'cated.
1t is understood that # is proposed
TO place in single jury wheel in
Washington one complete set Of
numbers. When a number is taken
from the wheel, the man ir each ex-
emption district whose card bears
that serial number will be drafted.
Thus as each numbeY is drawn, ap-
proximately 10000 will be drafted
OF one in each exemption district.
IF 100000 men are to he called
before the exemption boards in the
first selection, which seeins highly
II lobable, only 40 numbers would
need to be drawn, representing 40
men from each Of 10000 exemption
districts.
Many Knottv Points.
There are numerous complications
which must arise, however, and the
method of solving them can be
known only when the administra-
tion makes known its plan in detail.
The number of individuals register
ed in each district who are liable for
military service will not be the
same. Aliens are registered but not
liable for duty. In sone districts
the proportion of physically disquali-
fled will run higher than in others.
All this must be considered in franz
ing the regulations. Provision must
be made also to balance, al far as
possible, the chances of military
duty between the men in each dis
trict, so that disqualification of a
large number in any particular dis
trict for any reason will not put up
on those qualified additional likeli-
hood of being sent to the front.
Men for Reserve.
While the first contingent of the
new army under the bill is limited
to 100000 men, an additional 1885,
900 or 100000 will be needed for
the reserve battalions. Reserve bat
talions are being recruited for all
regular regiments and will be' re-
cruited for the National Guard
when it is drafted into the federal
service. The organization of the
National army will be on the same
basis. It may be necessary also to
draft enough men to fill up the regu-
lars and National Guard to war
strength although no decision to this
end has been reached. The regulars
are close to war strength and the
guard units are recruiting rapidly.
If possible they will be completed BY
the present war volunteer system.
There is one other consideration
which will affect the total number
of men to be drawn. Opinion varies
as to the number of exemptions
which must be made under regula-
tions. An estimate of at least so
exemptions for physical or other
causes has been generally employed
in committing the probable size OF
the task before the exemption boards
May Call Double Quota.
It is not known whether the gov
ernment plans to call double the
number of men actually needed on
the first selection in order to pro-
vide against these exemptions. Prob
ably a smaller number will be taken
to be filled out by later selections
until the ranks are full. If the ex-
emption factor is allowed for in the
first drawing, however, it seems like