Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1917-10-26
No. d.-Tho Danesrs If Dow.
DRAFT SYSTEM HAS BEEN MA
TERlALLY CHANGED.

lem of getting registered men with
out cause for exemption first in the
army and calling last those with
dependents or industrial need for them
at home.
All the men in the second draft
will he divided into five clnsscs.
Those IN the first class will be with
out dependents or industrial demand
for them mt homo.
Those in the fifth class will he erin
i'es aud others who could not serve
n1er nnv circumstances
In tn se,cnl third anil fourth
classes Will be hose vile ara needed
vt home or IN he ten ne. in v.yv-
ing degrees The c"rcnl Isss wiz
not be called until the r,st o'"as is
exhausted; the third cluss viii not he
called until the second class is en-
hansted. etc.
rms Will not only simplify the draft
machinery but meet the objections
OF farmers and munition workers.
Provost-Marshal Crowdcr announc-
cd today with the completion of the
draft of the first army of 6S7 600
men n new system will be Installed
Tor the creation of succeeding armies
which will greatly lessen the lnbors
OF the local and district boards So
Tar has this been accomplished that
1t is believed that under the new sys-
! TEN so per cent of the work will be
! eliminated while the forms to be us
cd will not exceed twenty in number
as compared with approximately 1872
forms which the present system re-
quires.
"Along with the reduction of ln-
bor," says General Crowdcr's state
ment, there will be provided n system
which will classify each one of the
nine millions Of men who have not yet
been given his place in the national
scheme of defense.
ITO do this it has been determined
20 obtain from each man complete
information of II character which will
definitely fix his economic worth ms
compared with his fellow rcgistrant,
and from the information thus OBJ
| tanned, to place him in one of the five
\ classes, each TO be called i'm turn ma
theneed arises.
TO Collect Data From Registrants.
"The method of obtaining this in
formation is through u 'qucstionaire,'
Il series of questions calculated To
produce the information required.
This document will he mailed to every
registrant not yet in the service on Il
date to be fixed, seven days being
given to each rcgistrant to complete
i and return the same. Every opporLu-
nifty will be offered TO each man to
complete his questionable fully and
| without error
| "rhe local board will then examine
each questionable and assign each reg
istrant to one Of the five classcs
| These classes will be based upon
every conceivable condition, from the
family or occupation standpoint that
should properly be advanced from
military duty. Class 1 will be the
hrst called for physical examination
and when it is exhausted if the mn
lions needs are such rs to make it
necessary class 2 will follow end thus
each man registered will ultimately
take his place if needed.
| Every opportunity for appeal from
such classification by the local board
has been retained and perfected, but
proceedings have been greatly sim
plifed.
Foundation of New System.
"The tedious work of local boards
has been practically eliminated by
the production of form known ns No
| 1000, which will be the foundation
stone of the new system. Through its
use all the laborious work of making
and posting lists has been eliminat-
cd. All of the old docket sheets and
records will be made Unnecessary and
by the arrangements of its columns
the work of the local board will be
reduced to n minimum.
"On this new form the complete
history of each mans case will APP
pear at glace, beginning with his
order number and ending with his
induction into n military camp, while
ut the close of each rays work the
local board is enabled to complete in
a few minutes with n rubber stamp
what has hitherto taken hours TO com
plete The system is such that it will
present each case almost automatical-
ly to the local board.
The completion of the new system
will solve problems which have con-
fronted the provost-marshal general
and caused much concern
Gone of the most serious of these
has been keeping together the great
Organization of the local and district
boards, which from a numerical view
point is of the strength of an army
division. any of these officials have
been clamoring for relief on account
o fthe drain on their time and the
new system will make it easily pos
sible for them to. continue their du-
ties, for which they have proven them
selves cminetnly fitted.
Another problem solved was the
question of expedencey of continuing
the examination of the entire regis
try, thus fixing each mans status
This would have evolved a medical
examination of each man, whose ply
steal condition might change from
day to day, thus making this great
undertaking yalueless.
Would Have Involved Confusion.
"Again, under the old system of
exemption and discharge IL would
have been cessary if the national
need required it to send for the ex-
empted man to return for physical
re-examination, while in the meantime
his industrial or family status might
have changed. thus involving endless
4 le