New-York tribune., 1917-12-24
First Replies Must
Be Made To-day to
Draft Questions
Board VIII Have Data To-
night to Classify $4,000
Registrants
Places for the Exempt
Men Refused in First Call
VIII Be Put on the
Auxiliary List
Places for the Exempt

,%,-s allow Che men seven days. ex-
- of Sundays and legal holidays,
rpieb 90 answer the sixteen pages
!, ;-.errorat:ors regarding their per-
,oral history.
ro.norroo viii mark the end Of the
.,,.od for answering She questionnaires
-. those rec.strants TO whom :he
5..,0,r.s were mailed on December Il.
each succeeding day will, Of course.
=, .be fral one for a later group OF
nor cent o. the reCistrants IN which
70 &c. in their answers.
theoretically the local boards will
,.ye the data ON which to classify
o-oeo men tonight. Many boards have
'l,.adv classified a large proportion Of
,s,s croup 4 very small percentage
ofbe various groups which received
.~.,.io,raires last week was placed
:. Glass I. It is understood. The rea-
-, FOR this is tsat those at the top
~ tbo list. according 10 the order
.rrbsr- those 10 receive their ques-
borna.res first were men exempted IN
hair frs. draft. Though all excep-
ions were revoked. the same reasons
so- a discharge still obtained in many
eases. and the reGistrant made sue
ssssfrl claim for deferred claSsihca-
ton. -.
we're turned down on the ground Of
pfvs;cal unftness. viii be placed IN
Class ! under the new system and be
spbiec. 20 call for norcombata~t ser
vice. Men with fiat feet, defective
,ision and other defects which do not
preyent @ man from doing efficient
civilian service viii very likely be
rlaced on the auXiliary list. for which
The new regulations provide. Moreover,
many men who were exempt from ser
wee in the first draft will be placed
in deferred classes. but Will be subject
10 call 10 the colors when Glass I in
heir loca. exemption district is cT-
hausied.
Appeal 10 District Beard
Before a registrant can be placed
fns'ly in any OF the five classes he
rus. either have his apreal TO the Dis
,tct Board heard or '"aive the right
70 arneal. Then. if he is iu Class /,
he win be- examined physically. The
tlst appeals are likely 10 reach the
District Board early this week. as the
appeal blanks were sent 10 the local
ts''ds Saturday.
Under tine QUESTIONABLE system. the
I6cs boards OF the nation have be-
come wholesale gatherers Of precise
Information about the physical, social
and economic condition Of nearly 9,OOO,-
O0o registrsnts. II the data thus ac-
cumulated should become accessible.
candidate for the degree Of doctor o.
rhilOsophv DUB American universities
viii find iu them enough material for
tons Of thesis. Already Governor Whit
nan and .he Federal Bureau for Noca-
tonal Education have projected plans
ior important studies on social con
oitions through ,ne facts brought iortA
6y the questlounaircs.
The bar 20 further use Of the cues
,ionnaires for other than purely mill
tarv purposes is that. according to the
Seiectiye Service Regulations. all the
facts given by reCistrants IN the docu-
menJs in regard 20 their physical con
dition and in regard 20 dependency are
confidential Thus in ordering study
Of tuberculosis in this state with the
aid Of the Questionnaircs Governor
Whitman had TO instruct Investigators
that they will be unable TO get at the
confidential information without per
mission Do writing from every regis
irsrt affected. Those interested IN tins
sideline phase of the Questionnalre
suggest that some system be devised
whereby Investigators may have access
10 all the facts about groups, without
learning confidential facts about any
particular individual.
4 Few Questions Asked
Il IS the theory Of the War Depart
ment. according TO local officials, that
the data in each recistrant's question
naire should follow him into the Ma
iional Army If he is selected, so that
commanding officers may have the ad-
vantage OF it in assigning the lndl-
vdusl % the job for which he is best
fitted.
The Endorsement by the government
Of the practice Of indefatgable quiz
zing Of registrants through the ques-
tionnare has brought Its reflex. Inc
men IN turn lombard the members OF
local exemption boards, local law
boards and the New York City office OF
the adjutant general with all sorts OF
queries regarding their status under
The new draft system.
A few typical questions, with author-
iled answers. follow:
O. Must registrants who have volun-
ieered or received commissions i!l out
Quesuounaires? A.-Yes.
Q.-Arc officers and enlisted men IN
those units Of the National GuarG
which have not yet been federallzed
and those In the New York State Guard
entitled 20 exemption from the draft +!
A-No.
Q.-Can a rcgistrant enter the Ca
hadian Royal Flying Corps A Ae-
cordlng 90 "a new ruling. no reglstrants
exeep. aliens may be released 10 enter
me military service Of any foreign na-
ton.
Q-Are Austrian declarants subject
e the draft? A-The Provost Marshal
Generals ruling is that no Austrians
CT Austrian declarants be entrained 10
mobilization camps However, they as
well as Germans who registered for the
draft, are required to answer their
quesiionnaires, and can ask TO be placed
IN Glass V.
o.-Is a foster-mother dependent
within the meaning Of the selective ser
vice regulations? A.-Only II she has
legally adopted the registrant.
g Can a man who was dishonoraoiy
discharged from the army be drafted !
A-Yes.
Q-Can medical and engineering
students be placed in Class V auto
miailcally? A. No. They must enlist
IN the Reserve Corps and be assigned
70 hnish their studies.
Q.-Can men who were exempted ~
ne first draft~enlist in the navy and