New-York tribune., 1917-07-21
"Red Ink" Numbers
In Confusion; Many
Fail to Find Them
Following Washington's Orders
Proves Highly Difficult for
Tribune Workers

The trail of the "red ink" number
was difficult one to follow yesterday
For days the young men Of draft age
in this city had been ordered by Wash
ington to find out their serial num-
bers so that they might know in what
order they were TO appear in the draft.
They were told to go TO the headquar-
ters of their local exemption boards
and consult the posted lists.
Many of them had gone there in the
preceding days and turned away with
out finding what they came for. With
cut their serial numbers the figures
that come out Of the bowl at Washing
ton yesterday meant nothing.
When the draft numbers began to
come over the wires, the men returned
to their local headquarters by the
hundreds, eager to see if they would be
among the first to be called. In sew
eral districts the lists were not posted;
in others the local boards had failed
to arrange the lists in alphabetical or
der, causing each man registered in the
district to read through several thou
sand names in order to find his own.
Here are the experiences OF sew
eral Tribune employees OF draft age
who sought the information from the
local boards. These men have had &C
cess to all the information that mas
been made public regarding the dralt
during the last few weeks. Yet tne
difficulties which they encountered
might have made men less fully IN
formed give up the hunt in disgust.
Board Didn't Show Up
George Hufnagel applied Monday at
nublic school at 1S2d Street ana {,
Wadsworth Avenue ana janitor 'old
him his board had not shown up
tuesday. Wednesday and Ihursoh!
evenings the school was dark 1estei-
day policeman told him tnat .he
hoard would meet at O'Clock IN PuO
lie library at l79th Street and ot. NIeh.
olas Avenue. Mr. Hufnagel went lhe.e
and a sign on the door SAID the n'eei, az,
ing was for o'clock last night M
Mr.. Hufnagel could do wnen tne hun,
bers were published in the al'ei"''"
was to wonder about his. ,.,
one man called at PUBIC norsty ~
81. Nicholas Avenue and l'stn o
at 9 o'clock yesterday morn," ,hi;c
Sound sign referring him to fupne
ccLool 132 at $3.50 o'clock in the aiter-
Doon He found several girls there wno
no;d he could not get his number ne
s SOU ~, time going through the hsts
(. for himself.
"" III N Harvey tried unsuccessiuily 70
. L;a number at various places
III, h. went to the City News Asso'
lta';n1 searched list after list and ous
il out.
Men Forced to Wait
More than fifteen minutes a worh S h;,
,ary before K. J. Block found hi'
nnyober during a visit TO an eHenpsro,
hnard All the numbers were on pap.'
.Nbin, and were not alphabeteaily
eaD,.d sd Scores Of men stood aroun.
irais,ng i, for an opportunity TO get a.
'hs, o,ber % man. living in Tenahy, y. ).
<.iiaa,ad Instructions and asKea
noiiceman on the street, but the o".e'
Wv nothing. He was reierreo " ~,
nnblisher Of county weekly, WIZ WIZ e.,
he understood a seiectlon ,hsr IN,
be made By local boafa s "a anu mens M, Til,
government would PICK soher .ne % Of In,
! local publisher was mempef Va ~,
| hnsrd and gave the number iro" "''
"eNeSrk NewSsrk, Il. J, afforded a Ci9n e9n'TasiI Hsi
". J. Masters called alice ssbInS a. ind s a Wicket
tnefs, .ss oiyen his number at once
NsYsrs shS had the lists alphabetically ar
ranged. fund c,owds waitint
a, an exemption board meet, meeting .1.nd !"
Republican club a. GUreB numB.r was
Alter a long wait his nu"''''
found. IL I.xa a, Publ,
sebooI No. 159 closed at 4:3o InuIson,
because 70 many men wanted snec n
numbers that i wss s,nrdioy 1mRos''0te 20 l. /. II
J Sy,p Vn,,p' The lists were not arranged
n.hs,ically and scores OF me'