South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-10-21
WHOLE DRAFT
MACHINERY TO
BE CHANGED
New System Will Do Away
With Complications and
Call Men Only When
They Are Needed.
Press Service:


WASHINGTON, Oct 20. 49, A
sweeping change in the machinery
of the selective draft. based on di-
vision Of the 100000 remaining
registrants into FIVE classes in order
of their eligibility for military serv-
ice was announced today by Provost
Marshal Gen. Crowder. Details Of
the plan which has been approved
by Pres't Wilson are not disclosed.
1t is calculated. however, to do
away with virtually all the COM
pHcated machinery of the first draft
and 10 make the operations of the
local boards hereafter little more
than rubber stamp proceedings.
The plan was worked out at con-
fereUces 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 70 arrange his affairs
accordingly and that no man deem
ed necessary in any important in
dustry. or needed at home 10 sup
port his family will be called TO the
colors unless the military situation
is desperate.
Work Out Details.
Detailed regulations TO govern the
new system are now being made
ready for distribution to local and
district board members. Gen. Crow
der in a formal statement assures
them that they will be given ample
opportunity TO familiarize them
es with these regulations before
the machinery provided is called
into use As the next call TO the
colors is TO be made under the new
plan. this assurance is taken 70 in
dictate that the second cali is not TO
be expected before the first of the
year. although no authoritative
statement on this point was avail
a BILE tonight
Provost Marshal Gen Crowder is
sued this statement:
with the completion Of the draft
of the first army Of So 900 men
new system will be Installed for the
creation OF succeeding armies, which
will greatly lessen the labors Of the
local and district boards. So far
has this been accomplished that II
is believed that under the new sys-
TEN so percent OF the work will be
eliminated while the forms TO be
used will not exceed 20 in number
as compared with approximately 1872
forms which the present system re-
quires
Along with the reduction of labor
q mill T.a v,ror-fdaE IN
which will classify each one Of the
nine millions Of men who have not
vet been indicted into military serv-
ice and each man will have been
given his place in the national
scheme Of defense.
To Classify Every Man.
''To do this it has been determined
70 obtain from each man complete
information of a character which
viii definitely fix his economic worth
as compared with his fellow regis
trant and from the information
thus obtained TO place him in one
of five classes. each to be called in
turn. as the need arises
The method Of obtaining this in
formation is through a questionable,
series Of questions calculated to
produce the information required.
: This document will be mailed to
every registrant not yet in service
on a day 20 be fixed, seven days be-
ing given 10 each registrant TO COM
plete and return the same
Every opportunity Will be offer
ed TO each man to complete his
QUESTIONABLE fully and without error.
THE local boards will then exam
inc each questionable and assign
each registrant 10 one OF five classes.
BASED ON Every Condition.