New-York tribune., 1917-07-16

/ In the cellar Of one Of the state
buildings at Albany are piled thousands
of little books which hold, for all thelr
insignificant appearance, the answers
20 ouestions that ten million young
Americans are asking. To say that
Zone of these booklets should be in the
hands Of every youth" is no more than
the cold truth. Between their covers Is
full ormation-informati that Of
fcials concerned either do not know or
are too busy to pass on orally-for the
future guidance Of that great CIVILIAN
army which was enrolled last month
under the selective service law.
Until the glory wheel has spun at
Washington and orders for their re-
lease are flashed to Governor Whitman
the little books will stay where they
are. But in the meantime an mixing
as to their contents is TO be had by
studying and patching together the ef-
fects Of the multiplicity or orders,
regulations, cancellations and appen-
dices with which Provost Marshal Gen
cral Crowder has been bombarding the
state authorities.
Right now there isn't much that the
registrant can do but mark time. There
may be hundred good reasons why ne
should stay at home and let men dlf-
ferently situated DO the fighting, but
the time for proving it Is TO. ycv.
1t has been repeated countless times
in dispatches from Washington that "
is the duty of every registered man to
90 TO the headquarters of the local ex-
emption board exercising jurisdiction
ever his home district (to which he Will
be directed on application at any police
station) and there ascertain the red
, serial number" which has been assigned
to him. This is the number by which
he will be represented in the Federal
lottery. and the order in which the
number is drawn will settle. once and
for all, his order in the civilian ranks
awaiting the call to the colors.
No Hurry for Numbers
If the regstrant learns his serial
number beforehand il will mean simply
that he will know at once, when the
results of the drawing are flashed from
Washington and published in the news
papers, whether he is liable TO service
in the first contingent Of 6S7 900 or is
to await a later call. But he can find
out the same thing at almost the same
time by visiting the local exemption
board headquarters after the drawing.
Should he intend to do this there is no
reason for going now, for the serial
number can be ascertained then and the
list Of numbers drawn consulted. SO
il seems that undue stress has been
laid on the necessity for finding out
the serial number Immediately. Fur
thermore, il is not to be left TO the
registrant to apprise himself whether
or not he is one of those whose num-
ber has been drawn for the first con
tingent. In some way, possibly oy
registered mail or directly through the
War Department, he will be nonhed OF
the lottery's result.
Just how notification is TO be MADE
may be explained in the little books
in the Albany cellar. II is to be hoped
too, that the booklets hold some expla-
nation Of why three different methods
arc open by which men with dependent
families may win discharge.
The workings of these three methods
are illustrated in as many forms which
are TO be followed in filing claims Tor
discharge, which must be on record
with the local board within seven days
90 ha rdOlcfrQnF
notice to appear for physical examina-