Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-10-18
NEW PLAN FOR APPLYING
ARMY SELECT|VE DRAFT
Worked Out Tentatively by Provost
Mnrshal-Genernl and Discussed
With President.
DEFINITE PLACE FOR EACH MAN
Would Establish Various Grades OF
Dependency and Industrial Value
for Guidance OF Future Drafts.
Program Soon to BE Made known.
DEFINITE PLACE FOR EACH MAN
TBy Associated Pressl


WASHINGTON, October IA com
prehensive new plan for applying the
army selective draft which would take
first only men without dependents and
of no particular value to war indus
tries, and establish various grades of
dependency and Industrial value from
which future drafts would be made
strictly on the selective basis has been
worked out tentatively by the provost
rshal-generars Office and discussed
with the President.
The plan, 1t was learned to-day, was
submitted recently to a conference OF
civilians who directed exemption board
activities in a number of States, and
received Endorsement of most OF them.
who are now discussing the proposed
plan with THAR State governors
1t Is proposed 10 formulate in each
local draft district table Of all regis
trants. placing each In column de-
noting his dependents and industrial
value In the wars prosecution For
instance. horizontal columns or classI-
fications would be based on dependency
Men with no dependents would be
placed In the first class. those with de-
pendent distant relatives in the second
class. those with wives in the third
class. those with a wife and one child
In the fourth. and 50 on.
INDUSTRIAL GLASSES
UNDER CONSIDERATION
Similarly, the vertical columns might
represent certain industries arranged
according to their respective merit as
war necessities. Industrial classes un-
der consideration in this connection are
farmers, ship-yard employees. munition
workers. railway and TRANSFORMATION
operatives. miners, steel plant and mo-
tor industry workmen, and certain
other individual plants or industry
branches to be designated from time
to time by the President or the War
Department as temporarily essential.
The latter classification might include
plants making military clothing, hnr-
ness frst-aid materials, or professions
such as chemists and other scientific
men more needed for war research than
to carry arms.
Ihus the table with horizontal de-
pcndency classifications and vertical
industrial classifications would hold n
place for each registrant in accordance
with his dependency or industrial value
claims. In selecting men for examina-
tion. boards Will first take all men
ents or value In essential war induY-
tries. When this class was exhausted,
draft authorities would draw on the
classes having the slightest dependency
claims and the least value in essential
industries. Theoretically. the draft
would work down through the table
to the classes with most dependents
and highest Industrial value
\
TO Die EXHAUSTED FIRST
No class would be exempted rs such.
but the valuable men would be placed
so that they would not be called until
the need for soldiers became more
urgent and all the less essential classes
were exhausted.
1t is understood the entire program
will be made known as soon as il is
completed and approved by President
Wilson. to allay the anxiety prevailing
throughout many industries over the
next draft. which had been planned
for as early as December. before tho
new plan was proposed, but which now
may be delayed.
The proposed plan would meet Presi-
dent Wilson's objection to class exemp-
tions On the other hand 1t is claimed
it would successfully prevent the
drawing OF men into the army who
nre needed more in the industries or in
agriculture. and would avoid mistakes
OF Great Britain early in the war. when
coal mines and war industries were de-
plcted OF skilled workers for the sake
OF swelling the first expeditionary
force. 1t also would give each man
more or less definite place In the
liability list. and set his mind at rest
as to when no might be summoned for
service.