The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1917-11-13
ITALlANSAREH0LDDNC
BACK THE TEUT0NS
SER
VICE BILL
President Will Defn-
itely Fix Place of All
Registered Men.

Washington, NOV. lV.-r rresiueh'
Wilson formally put the new ma
chinery for the carrying out of the
selective service bill into operation
tonight with the publication of the
foreword he has written to the reg
ulations under which the second call
will be made. The regulations them
selves and the questionaires which
then 100000 registrants will be
required to fill out are being for
warded to local boards, but have not
yet been made public.
War department officials estimate
that the whole process can be COM
pleted within sixty days. This means
that no second call will be made up
on the national army before the
middle of next February, as the
period of classification will not be-
gin until December Is.
The president describes the new
plan of dividing all registered men
not already modified into five class
es, subject to military service by
classes, as being intended to pro-
duce "a more perfect organization
of our man power"
"The selective principles must be
carried to its logical conclusion"
the president said, and he added
that there must be made complete
inventory of the qualifications of
each registrant in order to deter
mine "the place in the military, in
dustrial or agricultural ranks of the
nation in which his experience and
training can best be made to serve
the common good"
The inquiry projected in the ques-
tionnaire will 60 deep into the quail
tications of each of nearly 10000
600 men. The success of the plan
and it's completion within the esti-
mated time rests absolutely upon
the whole-hearted support given by
the people, especially by the doctors
and lawyers of each community,
and the president calls upon them
for their unstinted aid.
The presidents foreword follows:
"The task of selecting and mobil-
izing the first contingent of the ma
tional army is nearing completion.
The expedition and accuracy of its
accomplishment were most graft
flying demonstration of the efficien-
cy of our democratic institutions.
The swiftness with which the ma
chinery for it's execution had to be
assembled, however, left room for
adjustment and improvement. New
regulations putting these improve
ments into effect are, therefore, be-
ing published today. There is on
change in the essential obligation of
men subject to selection. The first
draft must stand unaffected by the
provisions of the new regulations.
Then can be given no retroactive
effect.
"The time has come for more
perfect organization of our man
power. The selective principle must
be carried to it's logical conclusion.
We must make a complete inventory
of the qualifications of all regis
trants in order to determine, as to
each man not already selected for
duty with the colors, the place in
the military, industrial, or agricul-
tural ranks of the nation in which
his experience and training can best
be made to serve the common good.
This project involves an inquiry by
the selection boards into the domes-
tic, industrial and educational quail
cations, of nearly ten million men.
"Members of these boards have
rendered conspicuous service. The
work wa sdone without regard to!
personal convenience and under a
pressure of improvements"