The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1917-10-22

Washington, Oct. ga sweeping
change in the machinery of the Sc
lective draft, based on division of the
100000 remaining registrants in
to five classes in the order of their
eligibility for military service, Is an
nounced by Provost Marshal General
CrOwder.
Details of the plan, which has
been approved by President Wilson,
are not disclosed. 1t is calculated,
however, to do away with virtually
all the complicated machinery of the
first draft and to make the operations
Of the local boards hereafter little
more than rubber stamp proceedings.
Fact to Know Order.
The plans chief features are that
exact position and be able to arrange
his affairs accordingly, and that no
man deemed necessary in any i'm
portant industry, or. needed at home
to support his family will be called
to the colors unless the military SIT
uation is desperate.
Detailed regulations to govern the
new system are being made ready for
distribution to local and district
board members. General Crowder in
formal statement, assures them
that they will be given ample oppor-
tunity to familiarize themselves with
these regulations before the machin-
cry provided is called into use.
Next Call In January.
AS the next call to the colors is
to be made under the new plan, this
assurance is taken to indicate that
the second call is not to be expected
before the first of the year, although
no authoritative statement on this
point was made available.
The announcement says:
with the completion Of the draft
new system will be installed for the
creation of succeeding armies, which
will lessen greatly the labors of the
local and district boards.
New Plan Simple.
$50 far has this been accomplished
that 1t Is believed that under the
system 80 per cent of the work will
be eliminated, while the forms to be
used will not exceed twenty in num-
ber, as compared with approximately
1872 forms which the present system
requires.
along with the reduction of la
bor there will be provided system
which will classify each one of the
100000 men who have not yet been
inducted into military service, and
each man will have been given his
place in the national scheme of de-
fense.
Men Will Be Surveyed.
ITO do this it has been determined
to obtain from each man complete
information Of a character which
will definitely fix his economic worth
as compared with his fellow regis
trant, and from the information thus
obtained to place him in one of five
classes, each to be called in turn as
the need arises.
1.-THE method of obtaining this in
formation is through question
naire,' a series of questions calcu-
lated to produce the Information re-
quired.
Document to Each Man.
This document will be mailed to
every registrant not yet in service
on q day to be fixed, seven days being
given to each registrant to complete
and return the same. Every oppor-
tunity will be offered to. each man
to complete his QUESTIONABLE fully
and without error.
"The local boards then will exam
inc each QUESTIONABLE and assign
each registrant to one of five classes.
Every Condition Covered.
These classes will be based on
every conceivable condition., from
the family or occupational standpoint
that should properly be advanced
by a man desiring to be excused from
military duty. Class one will be the
first called for physical examination
and service, and when it is exhaust
ed, if the nations needs are such as
to make 1t necessary, class two will