Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-07-19

A<cstStyt W ocicSt tuc Hdtioudl army,
will be drawn in groups. Only one
thousand numbers will be drawn. The
one thousand, however. will dispose
OF the entire registered eligibles num-
bering nearly ten million men,
General Enoch Crowder, Provost
Marshal General. so announced today
The ten million registrants are divid-
ed into groups. These groups are con
tr0lled by key numbers from zero
to nine, The men to be called up have
been numbered in red ink on the Sc
lective list by the local boards. These
red Ink serial numbers run from very
small figures in the lightly populated
districts TO more than 5000 in very
few other districts. The red numbers
were assigned by chance, Because
OF this General Crowder has ruled
that drawings In sets OF one thousand
will In no way work a hardship on any
one To make It fair the drawings
win be divided into two parts. First
will be the Key numbers" to deter
mine In what order each sheet of one
thousand shall appear on the master
list. Then will come a drawing OF
numbers from one to one thousand to
determine the order in which the
registered elibibles shall be called up
In explaining the manner in which
the drawing shall take place General
Crowder today issued the following:
Ten million men are registered
6S7 1000 are needed in the first call
Who shall 60 first?
If we were dealing with the an
cient draft we should take every four
teenth man. But we are not conscript-
ing We are selecting for military SER
vice those whose civil service can be
spared. Therefore, the question is not
who shall go first" but who shall be
called first for examinations" and
what we must do is to make a list
showing the order of examination.
NOW no one knows how many men
must be examined to yield GSR0Oo
soldiers Therefore, no one can say
Just how many men 1t is absolutely
necessary to put on this list. A NOM
ent's reflection will prove that the
whole ten million must be given
their places on the list of "Order of
examination" Every registered man
is in state of uncertainty. He does
not know when he will be called He
hesitates to plant a crop for fear he
will not reap 1t. Employers hesitate
to engage his services fearing they
will be but temporary. This condi
tion ought to be cured for the repose
of the public mind. II can be cured
to some extent by putting every man
on the list
"For this reason the whole ten mil.
lion names are to be given places on
the list of order of examination.
obviously no single agency could
examine ten million men. Therefore,
the ten million are segregated into
groups Of suitable size for convenient
examination. There are ASST of these
groups. For each group board has
been appointed to examine for selec-
tion. BY far tho greatest number of
these groups consist Of approximately
5000 men.
"Since this is 80 our problem is not
to put the whole ten million names in
one list arranged In the order of ex
animation. II Is to determine the ordel
of examination In each group of about
1900 names.
Since all registered men stand In
an equality, of right and duty, the
question Of priority can only be de
termined by lot or drawing.
ut would be possible to have 1857
separate drawings for eacf
group-but since methods would vary
and since supervision and absolute In
surance against the charge of fraudul
ent manipulation could not be had II
that way, every consideration of ex
pediency and justice urges one draw
Ing In Washington.
I'm each group every registration
card has a red ink number written OF
Its face and these numbers run in |