The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-11-23

will be won militarilv on the devoted |
field of France. Doubtless it will be
won by the side which is able to
place behind its army the prevailing
ounce Of provision. But the blow
that Skaters the German line and
extingutshes autocracy from the face
Of the earth will he the blow of
mans right arm and not the insidious
stroke of a shrewd trader.
Our selection boards have done a
great thing for this nation. but they
must do a greater thing. The task
ACCOMPLISHED is scarcely one-tenth
the Importance Of the task which re-
mains before you. For this great
work there stands here national
system. called into being three months
ago and erected almost like AlaIddin's
palace. in a night. There are nearly
$4,000 members of local and district
boards. With their assistants there
are considerably over twice that
| number of persons engaged&a greater
numerical force than is contained in
a combatant division of soldiers. They
are pioneers. They have b1azed their
own path. They are trained in the
work and familiar with the law. They
have become an essential and highly
specialized and important part of the
Selective Service System IS as essen
tial to that organization as is the
arnlv which it produces. It is the
balance between the military and the
industrial need of the nation and
stands as source of supply to one
and a shield Of protection to the
other. It cannot be replaced. Any
break in it's ranks would De an act OF
even greater harm to the nation than
saccrues when soldier abandons his
regiment or a sailor his ship. It
would be as inexcusable to- dismiss,
4 disrupt. or replace this organization
as to attempt to replace or dismiss
division on the field OF France. Most
of you are without the military age
yet you may canvas the field Of all
that you could have done to serve
your country outside of the fighting
forces and YOU will find no more
valuable thing than what you are do
ing.
The examination of the first $780,
900 registrants has taken you from
your occupations and the winning of
your daily bread. No one knows bet
ter than I the burdens you have
borne under our new and necessarily
crude system.
AS we built and bolstered during
the early organi0attonal period I
would shuldder whenever necessity
demanded that I. send out to the
lboards new rulings. amendments,
orders. and yet it became clearer and
clearer that we must retain the SER
vices Of all for this new and greater
task.
The conclusion was overwhelming.
The whole system must be revised in
the light of our experiences. The bur
dens must he made bearatble - the
lives of members Of selection boards
livable I called some members of
boards from various parts Of the
country to Washington and went
carefully over the situation. We
evolved a new plan for the process
of selection.
This brings me to the most pleas
uraible part of the message have for
y you. With all the urgency Of your
country's call upon you. feel that If
I could not come here with a promise
of your deliverance from the over
whelming demands we have made
upon YOU should hesitate to ask
iyou to continue. but I think I can
demonstrate in few words that we
have removed the burden that you
have hitherto borne.
In the new plan 1872 forms which
served to bewi1der both you and the
registrants amid to increase your work
have been abolished. Their place has
been taken by 10 which you will be
called upon to use. Even this state
ment gives no idea. OF the reduction
Of clerical labor that has been. &C
complished. For the use OF registrants
there. is a sins1e form. a Question
naire. The res1strant is called upon
to answer a series Of questions. that
, searches his entire industrial, eco
nomic. and family relation. Each set
of questions is integrated with the
: claim of classification to which it
; pertains. On the face Of the Question
naire Is a summary of dts contents
that almost compels the conclusion to
be drawn from it.
The SCOPE of YOUR labor will he re-
duced to a decision of facts which
will be presented for your considera-
ton without great searching Of
papers and sitting of obscure and I'M
satisfa Glory af1dav1ts. The Question
naire practically class1fies itself In
my opinion your task was rendered
burdensome and exhausting by vast
necessity for doing purely mechanical
and clerical work. We have obviated
this. The burdensome clerical part
|, of your task is absolutely removed
from your shoulders.
The new method of making physical
examinations is another labor saver.
Only those persons Immediately need
ed, classified in ClasseI, are to be ply
sically examined now. Others are to
be physically examined only when the
: classes preceding the one in which
: they have been placed is exhausted.
There is no double physical examina-
ton before the Local Board. If the
examining physician rejects the regis
trant, or, II the registrant Is not salts
fled, Or, If the examining physician is
in doubt, the registrant is to be sent
before a medical advisory board reas-
] onably convenient to each local board
] and composed of about seven special
? lists who will conduct an exhaustive
] denomination, Of the results OF
r which there need be little doubt
8 There is also to be established in each
; locality. a Legal Advisory Board4com-