Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-07-21

'ti' tSSocluIeu 5tresS
WASHINGTON July 2o-Selective
conscription was put into effect to day.
when a national lottery fixed the order
OF military liability for the 10000 900
young Americans registered for service.
To accomplish the result, lo,5oo num-
bers had to be drawn. one. at timesza
task which began in the morning and
lasted far into the night
The lottery was held in the public
hearing room OF the Senate once
Building. with War Department Off
cials in charge OF the actual drawing.
and with members of the Senate and
House Military Committees as wit
nesses Through the day there was
small crowd of spectators. but alto-
Gether probably less than 1000 persons
SAW any part of the process.
AS result of the drawing, every
registered man is given a definite place
in the liability -for-service list. AL
ready $4,000 have been ordered to the
colors to fill to war strength the regu-
lar army and National Guard and to
constitute the first increment Of tho
national army. To secure that total,
l,374.00o men will be called for ex-l
animation within few weeks. officials
estimating that two registrants must
be called for every soldier accepted.
These l,S74.Ooo will be taken from tho
head OF the liability list. every local
district furnishing fixed quota.
DRAWING rs CONDUCTED
WITH SIMPLE CEREMONIES
The drawing to-day was conducted
with ceremonies as democratic as the
IDEAL of citizenship 1t embodied It
was shortly before 10 O'Clock when Sec
retdry Baker, intrusted by the Presi-
dent with the carrying out of the draft
law, raped for order. and on small
table stood the great lottery jar, scaled
with brown paper. and showing through
it's transparent walls the heap of nuni-
bert filled capsules that must be taken
out one by one. In front Of the table
a row OF army officers waited with the
official tally sheets before them. Down
one side OF the room ran apother table.
where twoscore press representatives
waited to send out the numbers az
they were read.
Secretary Baker briefly explained the
purpose of the drawing. then stepped
forward to be blindfolded and draw the
first number. Major-General Duval
broke the seal, and, with long wooden
spoon bearing ribbon OF the national
coiors vigorously stirred the capsules
The secretary reached into the jar,
picked up a capsule and handed it to
an announcer. II was number 25S.
Then III quick succession other mum.
berS were drawn. while cameras and
motion picture machines recorded the
scene. The only Interruptions were tho
frequent changes OF tired announcers
and tabulators and the removal for
cleaning of the blackboards. where the
result was publicly displayed as each .
number came out. When a group OF
800 numbers had been written, the first
section of the board was taken out to /
be photographed, to establish an abso-
lutte record, while a second section was
substituted. BY the laws of chance.
the serial number l was drawn from
tho jar as number 4.26a In the liability
list, while number .O50o. the top NUM-
ber among the capsules. came our NUM-
.ber 23S. The serial 13. fabled bearer
OF ill-luck, was drawn In tho 7.890th
place.
Recistrants will receive no onlcial