Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-10-22
TO CLASSIFY ALL
MEN in DRAFT
UNDER 5 HEADS
Will Call Bachelors First to
Avoid Errors Shown by
Experience

Washington, Oct. 2.-Announce-
ment of the adoption of a new sys-
tenn of classification of drafted men,
so as to put "the right man in the
right place" was made Saturday
night by PROVOST Marshal General
Crowder. Under the new scheme,
which has the approval of the Presi-
dent, every registered man will be
catalogued with his local board. with
complete history that will enable
, the board to determine what class OF
service he is best fitted for.
The men subject to draft will be
put into five separate classes, running
from those who have no dependents
TO those who are physically or other
wise inCapacitated for active service.
Men physically fit and with no de-
pendants. who will be in class l, are
to be called out first, until the entire
class is exhausted. After that, Class
?. comprising men with small faml-
lies dependent upon them, or men
partly skilled, will come. Glass VIII
take in highly skilled men, or these
with aged parents dependent upon
them, while. Glass will include
those with large families. Class .
will embrace what will be known as
the "discards," or men who are III
no way fitted for active service.
Drawn in Sequence
The new method will not affect the
6S7. 900 men already taken into the
National Army, but will apply to all
others heretofore drafted and await
ing call. Under the system the order
number of draft will not be changed,
the men being called up before their
boards exactly in the sequence in
which their names were drawn from
the draft bowl. The change, how
ever, will sift the drafted men into
the five different classifications, so
that men whose names appear early
in the list may be put by the local
boards into classes that Will delay
| their actual call for service until
classes ahead OF them have been eX-
hausted.
The whole new system, as en-
planned by General Crowder, is the
! scientific working out of a method
| by which men will be assigned to
! the character of work they are best
/ adapted to, and at the same time
conserving the economic strength OF
| the nation by delaying the time when
| the skilled workers, or men with
| families greatly dependent upon
| them, are called up.
Question Each Man
Under this system, local boards
will send out to each enlisted man
! a questionable, going into minute
detail as to the life, family, responsi-
! bility. and adaptibility of the indi-
vidual These questions have not as
vet been made public. The individual
will fill in the blanks with answers
and return the quesuonnaire to the
local board within seven days.
After that, the local board will de-
| eide in what class to put the drafted
man, notifying him of its verdict. The
man, if not satisfied with the decision
| of the board, may appeal to the dis
| trict board, whose verdict will he
| final.
In addition to the classification 10y
! the local boards, there will be in.
| augurated an entirely new method
| of physical examination, which vii
not come until after the local boarc
| has acted and the men are called up
! The physical examination will be
! conducted. it is announced, in way
| that will eliminate any possibility Of
| fraud or collusion. The new method
| will also do away with repeated en-
| aminations. entailing loss of tins
and involving expense.